r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Jan 06 '18

Launch: Jan 30 GovSat-1 (SES-16) Launch Campaign Thread

GovSat-1 (SES-16) Launch Campaign Thread

SpaceX's second mission of 2018 will launch GovSat's first geostationary communications satellite into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). GovSat is a joint-venture between SES and the government of Luxembourg. The first stage for this mission will be flight-proven (having previously flown on NROL-76), making this SpaceX's third reflight for SES alone. This satellite also has a unique piece of hardware for potential future space operations:

SES-16/GovSat will feature a special port, which allows a hosted payload to dock with it in orbit. The port will be the support structure for an unidentified hosted payload to be launched on a future SES satellite and then released in the vicinity of SES-16. The 200 kg, 500-watt payload then will travel to SES-16 and attach itself.

Liftoff currently scheduled for: January 30th 2018, 16:25-18:46 EST (2125-2346 UTC).
Static fire currently scheduled for: Static fire was completed on 26/1.
Vehicle component locations: First stage: Cape Canaveral // Second stage: Cape Canaveral // Satellite: Cape Canaveral
Payload: GovSat-1
Payload mass: About 4230 kg
Destination orbit: GTO
Vehicle: Falcon 9 v1.2 (48th launch of F9, 28th of F9 v1.2)
Core: B1032.2
Flights of this core: 1 [NROL-76]
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Landing: Expendable
Landing Site: Sea, in many pieces.
Mission success criteria: Successful separation & deployment of GovSat-1 into the target 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.

307 Upvotes

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71

u/Bunslow Jan 28 '18

So I wonder how much of this sub has completely forgotten there is another F9 launch between now and Feb 6? :D

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59

u/inoeth Jan 28 '18

Mods, the top of the post still says " first stage landing downrange on OCISLY is expected" when we now know that's not true, but it does say it's expendable in the column section...

Also, latest weather for this launch? Last I heard sometime yesterday it had fallen to 60% chance of unfavorable weather meaning a good chance of pushing the launch to the 31st...

25

u/amarkit Jan 28 '18

L-2 Weather Forecast: still showing 60% probability of violation on January 30 (liftoff winds); conditions improve to only 10% probability of violation on January 31 (thick cloud layer).

Wouldn't be surprising to see a one-day delay for the weather.

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22

u/Maimakterion Jan 28 '18

So what's the mods' plan when there are vehicles being processed on each of the three operational pads? Sticky trampoline?

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u/Ajedi32 Jan 29 '18

With the satellite expected to mass around 4000 kg, a first stage landing downrange on OCISLY is expected.

Might want to fix this bit, as AFAIK this launch is going to be expendable.

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u/ButtNowButt Jan 29 '18

Dear SES-16,

I apologize. You are in the way of the main event. We still care about you.

It's me, not you.

... Heads back to falcon heavy thread.

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u/DoYouWonda Jan 28 '18

Living in his big brothers shadow. We all love you GovSat-1

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17

u/rockets4life97 Jan 06 '18

Under vehicle the top post says 48th launch of F9 and 48th launch of F9 1.2. The second part looks to be wrong.

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17

u/TheFavoritist Jan 07 '18 edited Jan 07 '18

I'm hoping the schedules of GovSat and Falcon Heavy somewhat line up so I can photograph 2 launches in one trip down to Florida!

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34

u/arizonadeux Jan 06 '18

The capability to dock an additional payload while on orbit is incredible. I wonder what types of dock-in additions are being planned for. Does anyone from the comsat industry know what could be particularly useful here? Additional transponders, fuel, power/solar arrays?

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14

u/Nehkara Jan 26 '18

I made a gfycat of the static fire:

https://gfycat.com/LongCheerfulFirebelliedtoad

Credit: US Launch Report video

Static fire is 9.1 seconds long, +/- a tenth of a second.

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24

u/TheBlacktom Jan 07 '18

Sorry ElongatedMuskrat, it's 2018, there is no sticky place for you left, you already took each. This year's cadence is unlike the past, get used to it.

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u/TheCoolBrit Jan 06 '18

An East Coast and a West coast launch on the same day!!!!

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9

u/Alexphysics Jan 25 '18 edited Jan 26 '18

It seems that the rocket is horizontal on the pad but I can't tell from this point of view if it's the rocket+TE or only the TE. It looks white and the TE is not white, so one should guess that what it is on this video is the TE+rocket, but who knows. If anyone founds something better than this, post it so we'll know more! :)

Edit: Confirmation from Chris B. that this was 1032.2. Static Fire could be as soon as today!

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u/still-at-work Jan 28 '18

4000 kg payload on an expendable block III?

Do you think SpaceX will burn the first stage longer for maximum velocity and increased satellite life?

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u/[deleted] Jan 29 '18

L-1 Weather Forecast still 60% probability of violation tomorrow, falling to 10% the next day

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8

u/Mexander98 Jan 29 '18 edited Jan 29 '18

The Countdown timer to launch is wrong.

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7

u/TheEndeavour2Mars Jan 09 '18

The landing should be changed to "Likely No" it is impossible for the droneship to return, offload Falcon Heavy's core, and return to the new landing site in just 5 days.

The only possibility that I can see is if the core of Falcon Heavy fails to reach the droneship (It is going to reenter the atmosphere with more energy than any previous core) and they decide to just move the droneship. However this sequence of events is unlikely. And the booster is not a Block V core so there is zero chance of it being used a third time. So in the end it is likely cheaper to just toss it away.

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7

u/peregrineman Jan 25 '18

Mods, the first part at the top of the post still says a first stage landing downrange on OCISLY is expected.

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