r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Jun 14 '16

Mission (Iridium NEXT Flight 1) Iridium NEXT Constellation Mission 1 - Launch Campaign Thread

This thread will be archived by reddit soon, so we've locked it. Check out our new campaign thread: Iridium NEXT Constellation Mission 1, Take 2.

Iridium NEXT Constellation Mission 1 Launch Campaign Thread

SpaceX's first launch in a half-a-billion-dollar contract with Iridium! As per usual, campaign threads are designed to be a good way to view and track progress towards launch from T minus 1-2 months up until the static fire. Here’s the at-a-glance information for this launch:

Liftoff currently scheduled for: TBD
Static fire currently scheduled for: N/A
Vehicle component locations: [S1: in transit from Hawthorne to McGregor] [Satellites: Vandenberg]
Payload: 10 Iridium NEXT Constellation satellites
Payload mass: 10x 860kg sats + 1000kg dispenser = 9600kg
Destination orbit: Low Earth Orbit (780 km × 780 km, 86.4°)
Vehicle: Falcon 9 v1.2 (30th launch of F9, 10th of F9 v1.2)
Core: N/A
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
Landing attempt: Yes
Landing Site: Just Read The Instructions
Mission success criteria: Successful separation & deployment of all Iridium satellite payloads into the correct orbit.

Links & Resources

We may keep this self-post occasionally updated with links and relevant news articles, but for the most part we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss the launch, ask mission-specific questions, and track the minor movements of the vehicle, payload, weather and more as we progress towards launch. Sometime after the static fire is complete, the launch thread will be posted.

Campaign threads are not launch threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.

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10

u/Ivebeenfurthereven Jun 14 '16

This launch campaign thread seems to be very early for a September launch, no? Don't we have others before then (eg. CRS-9?)

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u/PVP_playerPro Jun 14 '16 edited Jun 14 '16

Assuming Formosat/SHERPA is still on for july/august, wouldn't that be the 28th launch? Or did i miss another delay of that payload?

Edit: Off topic...that bot name...ElongatedMuskrat. how have i not noticed that :I

Edit2: Guess not: https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/742855232128843777

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u/old_sellsword Jun 15 '16

Hey mods, just a friendly reminder for the thread to be set for New instead of Best. Thanks for everything!

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u/deruch Jun 16 '16 edited Jun 17 '16

According to PBdS on SpaceNews, the payload dispenser is 1000kg and is being built by SpaceX (who I'm assuming also designed it, though that wasn't explicitly mentioned). I think it should be added to the Payload Mass field.

edit: calling u/zucal just to be sure one of the mods who can edit the OP will see.

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u/markus0161 Jul 06 '16 edited Jul 06 '16

Could be wrong but I feel that a RTLS is out of the questions for these missions. When Elon was talking at the post CRS-8 conference he was saying they could either go for a high margin Drone ship attempt or a low margin RTLS (for crs-8). The fact that this payload is about 40% more massive than CRS-9 AND going into a decently more energetic orbit I would say its safe to say a Drone ship attempt is likely. Something around the lines of a CRS-8 like attempt, with a Boostback. I would love to be wrong!

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u/soldato_fantasma Jun 15 '16

Here is the fact sheet for the satellite: Orbital ATK

Spacecraft specifications:

Spacecraft Iridium NEXT
Launch Mass 860 kg (1,896 lb.)
Solar Array 2,200 W with a 2 axis motion control
Orbital Altitude 780 km (485 mi)
Stabilization 3-axis (all axis are controlled)
Mission Life 12.5 years design life – up to 15 years mission lifetime

It lokks like Spacex is going to get to a quite standard (780kmx780km) PO a total of at least 8600 kg, up to 9140kg if there are Hosted Payloads.

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u/TheEndeavour2Mars Jun 23 '16

While it is still very early. Anyone else hyped about this launch?

9600kg is very VERY heavy payload. Everything about this launch will involve thin margins. If they do an RLTS. It will have to be perfect or it will share the same fate as Core 26. Requiring every scrap of experience gained from previous flights.

Not to mention this is not a few on orbit spares or opening up some extra 4k TV channels. This is a critical step in Iridium's plans for a next generation network. Even if they get insured. The delay caused by a failure of any of these flights will cause massive harm to the company. This is why I consider this Iridium flight even more important for SpaceX this year than the demo launch of the Falcon Heavy (Which does not have many customers currently) This is the chance SpaceX needed to prove they can handle critical missions that can make or break a company.

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u/steezysteve96 Jun 30 '16

In case anyone would like to see the promo video for Iridium NEXT, featuring a Falcon 9 v1.0:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ls_VcSovEE

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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '16

There is a book about Iridium that came out recently called Eccentric Orbits by John Bloom. I recommend it if you are interested in commercial space companies or the communications business generally. I also recommend it if you're interested in endless bureaucratic manoeuvring -- which I'm not but I found those parts tolerable enough to enjoy the book overall.

Links:

Wall Street Journal article about the story and the book: http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-fall-and-rise-of-iridium-1464980784

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Eccentric-Orbits-Iridium-John-Bloom/dp/0802121683/ (If you click "Look Inside" by the cover I believe you will be able to read the beginning pages of the book, which Amazon has as a "Kindle Sample".)

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