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The Nusantara Satu
spacecraft is equipped with two rideshare payloads, the Beresheet lunar lander
and the U.S. Air Force S5 experimental satellite as it is readied for encapsulation
inside the SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
FL. Launch is slated for Feb. 21, 2019 from Space Launch Complex-40. Credit: SSL
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Ken
Kremer -- SpaceUpClose.com &
RocketSTEM -- 20 February 2019
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – An unusually long two-month launch drought at Cape Canaveral is
set to end Thursday evening with the blastoff of a recycled SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying an eclectic
mix of large and small payloads including a commercial Indonesian
telecommunications satellite, a private Israeli lunar lander and an experimental
satellite for the U.S. Air Force.
Liftoff
of the first SpaceX Falcon 9 of 2019 carrying the Nusantara Satu
communications satellite for Indonesia and the privately funded Beresheet moon launder
for Israel is slated
for Thursday evening Feb. 21 at 8:45 p.m. EST (0145 GMT
Friday), from
Space
Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.
Nusantara Satu will be delivered to geostationary orbit. It carries the other two satellites attached as rideshare payloads.
Also noteworthy is that this mission will launch on a 'flight-proven’ Falcon 9 booster. In fact this flight will mark the first thrice flown Falcon 9 booster launched from the US East Coast.
This booster previously launched the Iridium-7 mission in July 2018 and the SAOCOM 1A mission in October 2018.
SpaceX recently launched the first ever thrice flown Falcon 9 from the US West Coast last December from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Ca.
The Falcon 9 launch window lasts for 32 minutes and extends from 8:45 p.m. to 9:17 p.m. EST Feb 21.
You can watch the launch on a SpaceX dedicated webcast that starts about 15 minutes prior to the opening of the nominal launch window:
www.spacex.com/webcast
Currently the weather outlook for Thursday evening is rather favorable - currently forecast as 80% GO !!
In case of a delay for any reason, a backup launch opportunity exists on Friday, Feb 22.
The weather remains at 80% GO.
The primary concerns are for the Thick Cloud Layer Rule and the Cumulus Cloud Rule.
The
primary payload is the Nusantara Satu telecommunications satellite for
PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), a leading Asian provider of satellite-based
telecommunication services. It was previously called PSN 6 and will be stationed
at 146 degrees East some 20,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the equator.
The 2.5 ton Nusantara Satu comsat was built by prime contractor SSL based on the SSL 1300 series platform. It is Indonesia’s first high-throughput satellite that will serve to improve internet connectivity in the region.
"The Nusantara Satu satellite is a very important infrastructure for Indonesia. As the first Indonesian High Throughput Satellite, it is another monumental step for PSN to realize its dream and carry on its commitment to provide broadband services across the vast archipelago of Indonesia," said Adi Rahman Adiwoso, CEO of PSN.
“Therefore, PSN has selected SSL, a Maxar Technologies company, since both companies share an aligned goal of bringing far-reaching technology to improve lives and create new opportunities for economic growth in remote regions.”
“Additionally, the satellite’s C-band and Ku band transponders will be used for voice and data communications and video distribution throughout the Indonesian archipelago. In order to bring a secondary payload to orbit, SSL designed Nusantara Satu using its next-generation electric propulsion system. The launch demonstrates SSL’s ability to take small rideshare satellites to geostationary orbit efficiently and economically.”
Nusantara Satu weighs 4,700 kg and has a 15 year design lifetime. It cost approximately $230 million.
Nusantara Satu will be delivered to geostationary orbit. It carries the other two satellites attached as rideshare payloads.
Also noteworthy is that this mission will launch on a 'flight-proven’ Falcon 9 booster. In fact this flight will mark the first thrice flown Falcon 9 booster launched from the US East Coast.
This booster previously launched the Iridium-7 mission in July 2018 and the SAOCOM 1A mission in October 2018.
SpaceX recently launched the first ever thrice flown Falcon 9 from the US West Coast last December from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Ca.
The Falcon 9 launch window lasts for 32 minutes and extends from 8:45 p.m. to 9:17 p.m. EST Feb 21.
You can watch the launch on a SpaceX dedicated webcast that starts about 15 minutes prior to the opening of the nominal launch window:
www.spacex.com/webcast
Currently the weather outlook for Thursday evening is rather favorable - currently forecast as 80% GO !!
In case of a delay for any reason, a backup launch opportunity exists on Friday, Feb 22.
The weather remains at 80% GO.
The primary concerns are for the Thick Cloud Layer Rule and the Cumulus Cloud Rule.
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A SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying GPS III SV01 lifts
off from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida,
Dec. 23, 2018 for the USAF. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The 2.5 ton Nusantara Satu comsat was built by prime contractor SSL based on the SSL 1300 series platform. It is Indonesia’s first high-throughput satellite that will serve to improve internet connectivity in the region.
"The Nusantara Satu satellite is a very important infrastructure for Indonesia. As the first Indonesian High Throughput Satellite, it is another monumental step for PSN to realize its dream and carry on its commitment to provide broadband services across the vast archipelago of Indonesia," said Adi Rahman Adiwoso, CEO of PSN.
“Therefore, PSN has selected SSL, a Maxar Technologies company, since both companies share an aligned goal of bringing far-reaching technology to improve lives and create new opportunities for economic growth in remote regions.”
“Additionally, the satellite’s C-band and Ku band transponders will be used for voice and data communications and video distribution throughout the Indonesian archipelago. In order to bring a secondary payload to orbit, SSL designed Nusantara Satu using its next-generation electric propulsion system. The launch demonstrates SSL’s ability to take small rideshare satellites to geostationary orbit efficiently and economically.”
Nusantara Satu weighs 4,700 kg and has a 15 year design lifetime. It cost approximately $230 million.
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Beresheet
lunar lander provided by Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace
Industries (IAI) for launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 on Feb 21, 2019. Credit Space
IL/IAI
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The second payload is a rideshare – namely the Beresheet
lunar lander provided by Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace
Industries (IAI) and marks Israel’s first lunar mission and as being the
world’s first privately funded lunar mission.
It was developed at a cost of almost $100 million.
To date only three countries have successfully landed on the Moon- the US, Russia and China.
Beresheet, where in Hebrew means “in the beginning” was one of the competitors for the now defunct Google Lunar XPrize.
If successful it will be the smallest spacecraft to ever land on the Moon, at only 1,322 lbs, or 600 kgs, fueled. The probe has an unfueled mass of 180 kg.
Upon deployment from the top of Nusantara Satu 33 minutes after liftoff it will travel to the Moon using its own power. The voyage will take about two months over several expanding elliptical orbits – for the longest ever trip to Earth’s nearest neighbor covering a total distance of 6.5 million km.
It should achieve orbit on April 4. If all goes well lunar touchdown is scheduled for April 11 at Mare Serenitatis.
It will transmit photos and video from the lunar surface and conduct scientific measurements.
Beresheet has a lifetime of about 2 days. There is no thermal control. The team hopes to make it hop about 500 m before it dies.
The moon probe measures 2 meters (6.6 ft) in diameter and 1.5 meters in height.
The Falcon 9 will launch in the upgraded Block 5
version and SpaceX will try to recover both the first stage booster and the nose
cones – both at sea.
The two stage Falcon 9 rocket stands 229 feet (70 meters) tall. The first stage is powered by nine Merlin 1-D engines fueled with liquid oxygen and RP-1 kerosene and generate 1.7 million pounds of liftoff thrust at ignition.
The first stage booster is again outfitted with four grid fins and four landing legs installed on the 15 story tall first stage.
SpaceX will attempt to soft land the first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship (OCISLY), which will be stationed about 400 miles (600 km) offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX will also attempt to catch the payload
fairing with the nose
cone catching ship named Mr. Steven docked in Port Canaveral, FL outfitted with
a giant ‘catchers mitt.’
This week the crew practiced scooping up a payload fairing half with the secondary net.
The giant primary net will try to catch falling payload fairings with the huge catchers mitt mid-air before they are damaged by splashdown and corrosive seawaters in the ocean. Mr. Steven arrived in port on Feb. 11, 2019 after sailing from the US West Coast.
It was developed at a cost of almost $100 million.
To date only three countries have successfully landed on the Moon- the US, Russia and China.
Beresheet, where in Hebrew means “in the beginning” was one of the competitors for the now defunct Google Lunar XPrize.
If successful it will be the smallest spacecraft to ever land on the Moon, at only 1,322 lbs, or 600 kgs, fueled. The probe has an unfueled mass of 180 kg.
Upon deployment from the top of Nusantara Satu 33 minutes after liftoff it will travel to the Moon using its own power. The voyage will take about two months over several expanding elliptical orbits – for the longest ever trip to Earth’s nearest neighbor covering a total distance of 6.5 million km.
It should achieve orbit on April 4. If all goes well lunar touchdown is scheduled for April 11 at Mare Serenitatis.
It will transmit photos and video from the lunar surface and conduct scientific measurements.
Beresheet has a lifetime of about 2 days. There is no thermal control. The team hopes to make it hop about 500 m before it dies.
The moon probe measures 2 meters (6.6 ft) in diameter and 1.5 meters in height.
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| Beresheet mission timeline |
The two stage Falcon 9 rocket stands 229 feet (70 meters) tall. The first stage is powered by nine Merlin 1-D engines fueled with liquid oxygen and RP-1 kerosene and generate 1.7 million pounds of liftoff thrust at ignition.
The first stage booster is again outfitted with four grid fins and four landing legs installed on the 15 story tall first stage.
SpaceX will attempt to soft land the first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship (OCISLY), which will be stationed about 400 miles (600 km) offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.
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SpaceX’s
nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven sailed into Port Canaveral, FL, on
Feb. 11, 2019, will be used to catch falling payload fairings with a giant
catchers mitt. Before they splashdown in the ocean. It berthed beside the
OSICLY drone ship used to soft land spent Falcon 9 rockets. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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This week the crew practiced scooping up a payload fairing half with the secondary net.
The giant primary net will try to catch falling payload fairings with the huge catchers mitt mid-air before they are damaged by splashdown and corrosive seawaters in the ocean. Mr. Steven arrived in port on Feb. 11, 2019 after sailing from the US West Coast.
SpaceX CEO and billionaire founder Elon Musk says the
ultimate goal is to recover and recycle the nose cone fairings for another
launch and thereby help slash the high cost of access to space.
Musk says the payload fairings cost about $6 million out of
an overall cost of about $60 million for a new Falcon 9 rocket. That’s contributing
roughly 10% and thus counts as a significant share of the overall cost.
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Giant
trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone
catching ship named Mr. Steven docked in Port Canaveral, FL as crew practices
scooping up a payload fairing half with the secondary net. The giant net will try to catch falling
payload fairings with a giant catchers mitt mid-air before they are damaged by splashdown
in the ocean. Mr. Steven arrived in port on Feb. 11, 2019 after sailing from the
US West Coast. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The path to launch was cleared after a
successful hold down static fire test on Monday evening, Feb. 18.
“Static fire test of
Falcon 9 complete—targeting February 21 launch of Nusantara Satu from Pad 40 in
Florida,” SpaceX tweeted.
The next launch follows quickly on NET March 2 involving the super critical inaugural test flight of the uncrewed SpaceX Crew Dragon on the Demo-1 mission to the International Space Station for NASA.
The Demo-1 flight is the precursor flight to missions with astronauts aboard starting on the Demo-2 Crew Dragon later in the summer- thus restoring America’s capability to launch Americans to space from American soil and end out sole reliance on the Russian Soyuz capsule since the shutdown of the shuttles.
For more all on this Fox 35 Orlando interviewed me about the Nusantara Satu launch and Mr. Steven’s arrival and fairing recovery goals.
The next launch follows quickly on NET March 2 involving the super critical inaugural test flight of the uncrewed SpaceX Crew Dragon on the Demo-1 mission to the International Space Station for NASA.
The Demo-1 flight is the precursor flight to missions with astronauts aboard starting on the Demo-2 Crew Dragon later in the summer- thus restoring America’s capability to launch Americans to space from American soil and end out sole reliance on the Russian Soyuz capsule since the shutdown of the shuttles.
For more all on this Fox 35 Orlando interviewed me about the Nusantara Satu launch and Mr. Steven’s arrival and fairing recovery goals.
http://www.fox35orlando.com/news/local-news/spacex-boat-hopes-to-revolutionize-how-we-launch-and-recycle-rockets
Watch for Ken’s
continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin,
Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy
Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight
Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
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Dr. Ken Kremer/Space Up Close interviewed on
Fox 35 Orlando about the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of Nusantara Satu/Beresheet mission
and attempt to catch the nose cone with Mr. Steven maritime vessel.
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Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
………….
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
Learn more about the upcoming/recent SpaceX Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, USAF GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-16 launch to ISS, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings:
Feb 20/22: “SpaceX Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, Dragon CRS-16 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 USAF GP3 3-01, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto, Kuiper Belt and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
Learn more about the upcoming/recent SpaceX Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, USAF GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-16 launch to ISS, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings:
Feb 20/22: “SpaceX Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, Dragon CRS-16 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 USAF GP3 3-01, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto, Kuiper Belt and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale
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Nusantara Satu mission encapsulated inside Falcon 9 payload fairing. Credit:
SpaceX
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