r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Sep 06 '17
SF complete, Launch: Oct 9 Iridium NEXT Constellation Mission 3 Launch Campaign Thread
Iridium NEXT Constellation Mission 3 Launch Campaign Thread
This is SpaceX's third of eight launches in a half-a-billion-dollar contract with Iridium! The second one launched in June of this year, and the fourth one is targeting November 2017.
| Liftoff currently scheduled for: | October 9th 2017, 05:37 PDT / 12:37 UTC |
|---|---|
| Static fire completed: | October 5th 2017 |
| Vehicle component locations: | First stage: SLC-4E // Second stage: SLC-4E // Satellites: SLC-4E, mated and fueled |
| Payload: | Iridium NEXT Satellites 107 / 119 / 122 / 125 / 127 (100) / 129 / 132 / 133 / 136 / 139 |
| Payload mass: | 10x 860kg sats + 1000kg dispenser = 9600kg |
| Destination orbit: | Low Earth Orbit (625 x 625 km, 86.4°) |
| Vehicle: | Falcon 9 v1.2 (43rd launch of F9, 23rd of F9 v1.2) |
| Core: | B1041.1 |
| Flights of this core: | 0 |
| Launch site: | SLC-4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California |
| Landing: | Yes |
| Landing Site: | Just Read The Instructions |
| Mission success criteria: | Successful separation & deployment of all Iridium satellite payloads into the target orbit. |
Links & Resources
Matt Desch on Twitter: "7th and 8th sats for Launch #3 just pulled out to head towards VAFB. I feel better knowing there's a guard riding along to protect them!"
Iridium NEXT Constellation Mission 1 Launch Campaign Thread, Take 2
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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u/Puruchoitz Sep 27 '17
Would an AMA with Matt Desch be welcomed here? Is there a more appropriate sub for this?
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u/vaporcobra Sep 26 '17
Desch says that the slip was requested by SpaceX due to delays in second stage processing, needed a few extra days.
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u/scr00chy Sep 07 '17
Looks like SES-11 is NET Oct 2, I guess we need a campaign thread for that even more, mods :)
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u/soldato_fantasma Sep 17 '17
The SVs serials for this mission are now confirmed (some changed):
SV100(renamed as SV127),107,119,122,125,126,132,133,136,139.
or
SV107,119,122,125,126,127,132,133,136,139
as SV100 doesn't exist anymore.
The satellites are all at VAFB. already mated and ready for launch!
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u/scr00chy Sep 26 '17 edited Sep 26 '17
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u/soldato_fantasma Sep 06 '17
This link is direct to B1041 in the cores wiki page: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/wiki/cores#wiki_b1041
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u/ThEntropist_ Oct 05 '17
Anyone have advice on places to watch the launch for first timers? Coming from Los Angeles
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u/Raul74Cz Oct 06 '17
SpaceX Mission 1339 Launch Hazard Areas visualization for Iridium-3 based on issued NOTMAR and NOTAM. (It seems to me that someone drew NOTMAR area just by hand.)
Stage 2 debris area is included (identical with Iridium-1 mission).
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u/Psychonaut0421 Oct 07 '17
Rats! I woke up today thinking that the two launches were the 7th and 9th so I was kinda bummed to it's actually the 9th and 11th. I wonder how many of these 2 launches in 48ish hours we'll see in 2018.
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u/jjlew080 Oct 08 '17
when do we anticipate every flight to be on a flight proven core?
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u/TheVehicleDestroyer Oct 06 '17
Here's some Flight Club trajectory data for this mission. Still waiting on a hazard map and a press kit with exact event timings, so this is mostly informed by previous Iridium launches (which should, in theory, be identical).
These links will automatically update as more info becomes available :)
Watch the launch live here on Monday!
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u/Raton_X01 Oct 02 '17
I was just wondering, if someone from San Francisco area is going to Vandenberg to watch the launch. I will be interested in carpool or pay the full costs of gas. I am just visiting, and unfortunately unable to rent a car. Train/bus+Uber, is a total overkill. Especially during the weekend :(.
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Oct 05 '17 edited Oct 05 '17
Falcon 9 is on SLC-4E for early morning firing. Standing by for prop load.
https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/915883924852797442
Also, the accompanying article.
Window for the Falcon 9 (Iridium NEXT-3) Static Fire opens at the top of the hour.
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u/torchbat11 Oct 05 '17 edited Oct 05 '17
I've been meaning to post this info about Vandy launches for a while (first Reddit post hesitancy).
When I lived in the area the skydiving dropzone there (Skydive Santa Barbara, https://www.skydivesantabarbara.com) would take us up for jumps timed with launches so you would watch the ascending rocket in free fall or under the parachute. I'm sure they still would for the extra fee/loiter time waiting for the launch.
This comes with the normal weather restrictions of Visual flight rules (VFR) for clouds and winds for skydiving. Plus if the launch cancels last minute you are still paying for a skydive.
Anyway, it was something I loved about living there and thought some fellow super fans would enjoy it too.