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[cameron]

Edit: March 4

SES ‏@SES_Satellites
SES and @SpaceX are now targeting today, Friday, March 4 at 6:35pm EST for launch of #SES9.

SpaceX Webcast: http://www.spacex.com/webcast
Full Hosted Webcast via Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muDPSyO7-A0
Technical Webcast via Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIkPP2LM8DU

DEIMOS IMAGING @deimosimaging
#Deimos2 caught @SpaceX @TheDroneShip getting ready for #Falcon9 first stage landing @SES_Satellites @elonmusk

----------------------

Satellite Mission:

Scheduled for launch in 2016, SES-9 will be positioned at the orbital slot of 108.2° E and provide incremental as well as replacement capacity to the well established slot over Asia, where it will be co-located with the existing satellites. The satellite will expand SES’s capability to provide DTH broadcasting and other communications services in Northeast Asia, South Asia & Indonesia, as well as maritime communications for vessels in the Indian Ocean.

https://twitter.com/SES_Satellites/status/701699448594898944

SpaceX @SpaceX
Weather remains 60% go for tomorrow's launch attempt. Window opens at 6:46pm ET. Webcast → http://www.spacex.com/webcast

Other info about the launch profile and first stage recovery:

Broadcasting satellites like SES 9 are typically deployed into an egg-shaped transfer orbit, with a high point near geostationary altitude and a low point much closer to Earth. In such cases, the satellite’s on-board propulsion system is responsible for adjusting its orbit to reach the craft’s ultimate operational post.

SES 9 carries a conventional liquid-fueled engine to complete major post-launch maneuvers, and an electric propulsion system to fine-tune its orbit and slide into position at 108.2 degrees east longitude.

The use of electric propulsion saves fuel aboard the satellite, but the low-impulse ion thrusters take longer to change the trajectory of the spacecraft, meaning SES 9 will take several months to reach geostationary orbit, instead of the usual few weeks.

SES said the modification to the launch will allow SES 9 to still enter service as soon as July, in roughly the same timeframe it expected to begin broadcasting television programming had the satellite launched late last year. Industry sources said the adjustment will place SES 9 in a higher orbit than originally planned, reducing the time the satellite needs to raise its own altitude.

For missions with heavier satellites bound for higher orbits — like SES 9 — the rocket is going too fast to turn around and return to Cape Canaveral, requiring a descent toward a landing ship in the ocean.

SpaceX officials caution the chance of a successful landing is even lower than normal, thanks to a late change in the launch profile for the SES 9 mission.

SES and SpaceX announced earlier this month an agreement for the Falcon 9 rocket to place the SES 9 satellite into a higher orbit than initially planned, reducing the time needed for the spacecraft to maneuver itself into its operational position in a circular geostationary orbit nearly 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) over the equator.

The adjustment allows SES 9 to enter service by the end of September, making up for a half-year of delays caused by a Falcon 9 launch failure last year.

The extra boost required to put SES 9 into a higher orbit translates into higher speeds for the first stage booster during its descent back to Earth, putting more stress on the rocket during re-entry.

Old graphic. Couldn't find one that's more appropriate for this attempt. There won't be any boostback burns to slow down the first stage.

 

[cameron]

Press kit: http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/spacex_ses9_press_kit_final.pdf

SpaceX is targeting an evening launch of SES-9 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The approximately 90-minute launch window opens on February 24 at 6:46:14 pm ET. A backup launch window opens at 6:46:17 pm ET on February 25. The satellite will be deployed approximately 31 minutes after liftoff.

This mission is going to a Geostationary Transfer Orbit. Following stage separation, the first stage of the Falcon 9 will attempt an experimental landing on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship. Given this mission’s unique GTO profile, a successful landing is not expected.

SES would like to be the first to use a refurbed Falcon 9:

SES, which currently operates a constellation of 53 satellites, has three more under contract to fly on SpaceX Falcon rockets through 2017, SES Chief Technology Officer Martin Halliwell told reporters at a prelaunch news conference.

“SES would have no problem in flying a re-used (rocket’s) first stage. If it’s flight-worthy, we’re happy,” Halliwell said.

SES has started talking with SpaceX about buying a used rocket to fly a future SES satellite but they have not yet agreed on a price.

A new Falcon 9 costs about $61 million, the company’s website shows.

“I did throw out a challenge to SpaceX that we would be the first satellite operator that would use the same rocket twice to get to ... orbit. That’s something which I would really like to do,” Halliwell said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-spacex-idUSKCN0VX1B7

 

[Wreav]

Good on SES for taking the liability risk for the first reused craft to orbit!

 

[Rosur]

Press kit: http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/spacex_ses9_press_kit_final.pdf

SES would like to be the first to use a refurbed Falcon 9:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-spacex-idUSKCN0VX1B7

That's cool that they will get customers on the used rockets in future.

 

[m_shortpants]

Giantbomb has made me really interested in this >>

 

[mrklaw]

I love that the barge is called 'of course I still love you'

 

[Oriel]

36 mins left, I hope we'll get going this evening and not a scrubbed launch.

Edit: SLC-40....

 

[Particulam]

Is it delayed until tomorrow?

 

[cameron]

Scrubed.

SpaceX @SpaceX
Team opting to hold launch for today. Looking to try again tomorrow; window also opens at 6:46pm ET. Rocket and spacecraft remain healthy.

 

[Oriel]

Godamnit....

Launch postponed for today
Team opting to hold launch for today. Looking to try again tomorrow; window also opens at 6:46pm ET. Rocket and spacecraft remain healthy.

Looks like the weather didn't play its part, was expecting this.

 

[Jezbollah]

Makes sense. Long launch window, and the weather around LC40 and 600km down range on OCISLY made it an easy decision.

 

[valkillmore]

Aww shnizaps I was looking forward to watching this tonight.

 

[Elfforkusu]

Launch to GTO, trying to recover the first stage with no boostback?

This is the real deal, boys and girls. This is as hard as it gets. (until you start talking 2nd stage recovery, which is still science fiction sadly)

 

[E-Cat]

 

[cameron]

SpaceX ‏@SpaceX
Weather for today's launch attempt at 80% go, though upper level winds and ground level winds remain watch items.

Spaceflight Now @SpaceflightNow
No major problems in #Falcon9 countdown as clock ticks toward 6:46pm EST (2346 GMT) launch. http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/02/24/falcon-9-ses-9-mission-status-center/

Launch in ~2 hours 15 mins.

Edit: posted already by E-Cat. Didn't see as I was editing. ^_^

 

[Oriel]

Due to the particular mission requirements here it's probably unlikely that SpaceX will recover the 1st stage. Most of the propellant will need to be burned to get the satellite into the necessary GTO orbit so the stage may well burning up on re-entry. Still it's kind of cool that SpaceX attempts a barge landing anyway. It'd love to see a successful landing all the same.

 

[brochiller]

Hope this goes off tonight! I've wanted to watch one of these live for a while now but haven't had the chance until now.

 

[cameron]

SpaceX @SpaceX
Propellant loading underway. Launch targeting 6:47pm ET.

Streams. Starts at 6:25 pm ET.

SpaceX Webcast: http://www.spacex.com/webcast
Full Hosted Webcast via Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml1RO4IcOG0
Technical Webcast via Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HSb_yBnJXA

 

[Oriel]

I love the futuristic music SpaceX uses for its webcasts.

 

[Jezbollah]

Propellent loading has started. Everything looking good for a launch in half an hour.

Webcasts will be starting in a few minutes too.

 

[Oriel]

Webcast has started. 16 mins to launch.

 

[santi_yo]

Here we are I love watching these webcasts.

 

[Mindlog]

Got a good feeling about this one fellas.

 

[jambo]

Under 4 minutes!

I love that SpaceX use the timeline across the bottom of the video feed.

 

[XGRaViSmOrSX]

So hoping they stick the landing this time.

 

[cameron]

Pooh.

 

[Jezbollah]

Aborted launch.

 

[Lonestar]

FAIL

 

[_woLf]

RIP

 

[Oriel]

Flight aborted!

 

[sensi97]

Hold. Abort.

 

[E-Cat]

Goddammit.

 

[Schrade]

Bah

Whyyyy.

I wanted to watch it live.

 

[santi_yo]

 

[Jezbollah]

Scrubbed till tomorrow.

 

[Oriel]

Scrubbed until tomorrow. So close. See you all tomorrow night I guess.

Edit: And with that some trippy music to end.

 

[Tempy]

Too bad :/

 

[Mindlog]

Canadian treachery. Admit it!

 

[Jezbollah]

It looks like abort was due to slower than expected propellent loading.

 

[Lunar FC]

Shut down the program!

 

[TyrantII]

Space is hard

 

[hamauzu kaito]

When they postpone launches is it due to atmospheric conditions(pre-orbital, post-orbital) or is it the turbulence of the sea? Could they pick a better location in the future for better weather?

 

[Lunar FC]

When they postpone launches is it due to atmospheric conditions(pre-orbital, post-orbital) or is it the turbulence of the sea? Could they pick a better location in the future for better weather?

Today wasn't a weather issue.

 

[Oriel]

When they postpone launches is it due to atmospheric conditions(pre-orbital, post-orbital) or is it the turbulence of the sea? Could they pick a better location in the future for better weather?

It wasn't an issue with the weather today, it was an issue with loading the Liquid Oxygen onto the Falcon 9 in time before launch. The weather was fine, as was the rocket itself.

 

[Oriel]

See you all tomorrow night I guess.
.

My mistake, the launch window has closed now.

 

[hamauzu kaito]

Today wasn't a weather issue.

It wasn't an issue with the weather today, it was an issue with loading the Liquid Oxygen onto the Falcon 9 in time before launch. The weather was fine, as was the rocket itself.

Thanks, I couldn't find the answer on their twitter. I hope things go well tomorrow. I've even got my parents following the launches, can't hold their attention forever.

 

[diablos991]

Oh well. Will tune in tomorrow!

 

[cameron]

Launch target tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/SES_Satellites/status/703634698237517824

Weather forecast looking good:
http://www.patrick.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070716-028.pdf


Spaceflight Now wrote a bit about the challenges with this launch:

The Falcon 9 rocket’s countdown proceeded normally Thursday until a member of the SpaceX launch team called a hold at approximately T-minus 1 minute, 41 seconds, before the scheduled launch time of 6:47 p.m. EST (2347 GMT).

The cause of the last-minute abort was an issue with loading cryogenic liquid oxygen into the rocket, according to a SpaceX official on the official launch webcast. Both stages of the Falcon 9 burn a mixture of RP-1 kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen.

Designed to loft heavier cargo into space, the upgraded Falcon 9 burns a super-chilled mixture of RP-1 and liquid oxygen.

The modified Falcon 9 consumes a super-chilled propellant mix that allows engineers to load additional fuel into the rocket. The cryogenic liquid oxygen is chilled closer to its freezing point, from minus 298 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 340 degrees, while the Falcon 9’s RP-1 fuel — a refined form of kerosene — is cooled from a standard room temperature of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit to 20 degrees, according to Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO.

The change essentially allows engineers to load more propellant mass into the the volume of the Falcon 9 fuel tanks, which are also slightly enlarged on the upgraded rocket. The denser fuel mix flows faster into the rocket’s Merlin engines, adding extra thrust to haul heavier satellites into orbit and leaving leftover fuel to attempt landings of the booster for future reuse.

The first stage’s nine Merlin 1D engines collectively generate 1.5 million pounds of thrust at sea level, up from 1.3 million force-pounds on the earlier version of the Falcon 9. All told, the changes allow the Falcon 9 to deliver about 30 percent more mass to orbit without extra thrust from strap-on boosters or other major additions to the booster, according to SpaceX.

The upgrades also allow SpaceX to recover the first stage of the Falcon 9 on more launches, a capability previously limited by the type of mission it performed.

SpaceX engineers struggled to master the handling of the super-cold densified propellants at the Falcon 9 launch pad before the maiden flight of the upgraded rocket in December, but the rocket successfully took off the first time it received propellants on a real launch attempt.

The launch team updated the Falcon 9’s countdown procedures to account for the sensitivity of the super-chilled propellants.

Instead of loading the propellants three hours before liftoff, the upgraded Falcon 9 receives its fuel in the final 30 minutes of the countdown to minimize the time the cryogenic liquid sits inside the rocket tanks and warms up in the mild ambient temperatures of Florida’s Space Coast.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/02/26/spacex-launch-aborted-in-final-minutes/

 

[cameron]

SpaceX @SpaceX
Tracking towards a 6:46pm ET launch attempt today; watching upper-level winds closely.

.

 

[Mindlog]

Someone needs to sneak a Kerman into space. The game has been an outstanding teaching tool.