Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Awesome Blastoff for Israeli-owned AMOS-17 after Awful Weather Subsides for SpaceX Falcon 9: Photos


SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying AMOS 17 comsat mission for Spacecom launches at 7:23 p.m. EDT Aug 6, 2019 from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Ken Kremer -- SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM – 6 August 2019

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – After day long threats of awful Space Coast weather and uncertainty on whether the Air Force would give approval to SpaceX’s late in the flow request for launch on the Eastern Range setting up back to back liftoffs with ULA’s Atlas V launch on Thursday, SpaceX finally launched their Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Israeli-owned AMOS-17 comsat this evening, Tuesday, August 6, but only after hours longs hefty thundershowers and lightning strikes subsided for a brief period.

Until nearly the final moment it seemed the Falcon 9 launch would scrub for weather. But in the end it was another awesome display of rocketry.

Indeed weather was red at the opening of the launch window at 6:53 p.m. EDT and was pushed back 30 minutes to a new T-Zero target.

Finally the skies cleared sufficiently and the Falcon 9 roared off the launch pad at 7:23 p.m. EDT (2323 GMT) tonight, Aug. 6, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. of the AMOS-17 comsat for Spacecom of Israel.

The 229 foot tall rocket roared off pad 40 with 1.7 million pounds of thrust from ignition of all 9 Merlin 1D first stage engines. It soon disappeared into the initially wispy and soon thick layer of low hanging clouds. 

Enjoy our Space UpClose photo gallery of the launch – which are limited this time. 

There was so much poor weather leading up to tonights launch that none of the media including Space UpClose were able to set up our remotes cameras due to the Phase 3 lightning warnings in effect on and off throughout the day. 
SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying AMOS 17 comsat mission for Spacecom launches at 7:23 p.m. EDT Aug 6, 2019 from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The $250 million Boeing-built AMOS-17 satellite is owned and operated by the Israeli Tel Aviv-based telecom company Spacecom. It is designed with a 20 year lifetime and is based on Boeing’s 702 satellite series.



“Working with the Boeing team is a remarkable experience. The shared commitment to AMOS-17’s performance and advanced digital payload package and meeting our tight time and resource goals is a tremendous win for the Boeing team. We look forward to successfully completing our joint mission when AMOS-17 commences operations,” said David Pollack, CEO and president of Spacecom.

The Falcon 9’s upper stage released The Amos 17 satellite was released from the Falcon 9 second stage approximately around 32 minutes after liftoff into its desired orbit.

Spacecom confirmed that AMOS-17 was then in constant contact with its ground station as planned. During the next few weeks, AMOS-17 will begin its testing and checkout processes in orbit. 

It will enter service in about 3 months after completion of the on-orbit tests and moving to its final position over Africa at 17 degrees East later in 2019. 

The satellite will provide affordable internet, phone and TV and video access and other communications services to underserved parts of Africa as well as Europe and the Middle East.

AMOS-17 serves as a replacement for AMOS-5 which failed in orbit in 2015 at 17 degrees East.
SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying AMOS 17 comsat mission for Spacecom launches at 7:23 p.m. EDT Aug 6, 2019 from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Fortunately, this launch proceeded far better compared to the prior AMOS-6 satellite for Spacecom - which was destroyed in a catastrophic explosion just minutes before engine ignition during a static fire test when the payload was bolted on top of the Falcon 9.


Since that devastating explosion in Sept. 2016, SpaceX has avoided placing commercial payloads on top of the Falcon 9 during static fire test campaigns.

“This satellite cost us about $250 million in orbit. We hope to recover it, within what is acceptable within the industry, in about six or seven years,” Pollack told Space UpClose. “And then, because it’s 20 years, we have hopefully a long life to make profit.”

But he avoided saying anything specific about the launch contract terms or cost and how the AMOS-17 satellite would reach its final orbit and why the booster had no landing legs or grid fins. 
SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying AMOS 17 comsat mission for Spacecom launches at 7:23 p.m. EDT Aug 6, 2019 from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
This particular Falcon 9 first stage previously launched twice on the Telstar-19 VANTAGE and Es’hail-2 missions in 2018 and has once again been refurbished for reuse.

But this launch will be the boosters last launch. 

For its third and final flight this Falcon 9 first stage booster was flowen with no landing legs and no grid fins.

Spacecom needs all the lifting power of the Falcon 9 rocket to achieve its intended orbit for the heavy 6.5 ton AMOS-17 and maximize its lifetime in orbit.
Spectacular shelf clouds and lightning strikes near SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying AMOS 17 comsat mission for Spacecom threatened to scrub launch set for Aug 6, 2019 from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
SpaceX was able to recover one of the two payload fairings using a parachute assisted and guided descent to the GO Ms. Tree boat outfitted with a giant net  - before it tpuches the seawaters of the Atlantic Ocean. 

CEO Elon Musk confirmed the successful ‘catch’ by tweet. 



Teams hoped to retrieve the other one after splashdown in the ocean with another ship -GO Navigator


He said at a media briefing last year that the fairing cost about $6 million- which is roughly 10% of the cost of a launch of $60 million

AMOS-17 has a fully fueled weight of 6.5 metric tons (14,330 pounds).

Once in geostationary orbit AMOS-17 will be operating at 17 degrees east.

“AMOS-17 will expand and strengthen Spacecom’s coverage of the growing satellites services market in Africa, with connectivity to the Middle East, Europe and Asia. AMOS-17 will deliver Ka-band, Ku-band and C-Band services,” according to Spacecom.


AMOS-17 prelaunch media briefing Aug. 2, 2019 with David Pollack, Spacecom CEO; and Chris Johnson, Boeing President, Satellite Systems International. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
“AMOS-17 places us directly into the exciting growth of Africa’s Sub-Saharan vibrant markets,” said Pollack.

“As a leading multi-regional satellite operator, Spacecom is introducing the most technologically advanced satellite with HTS beams to service Africa where AMOS-17 will deliver a large selection of services to a variety of broadcast, broadband and telecom clients.” 
AMOS-17 prelaunch media briefing Aug. 2, 2019 with David Pollack, Spacecom CEO; and Chris Johnson, Boeing President, Satellite Systems International. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

“AMOS-17 is packed with innovations so that it can support many challenging missions,” said Chris Johnson, president, Boeing Satellite Systems International, Inc. 

“We are proud to support Spacecom in their use of satellite technology to bring services, promote economic development and foster a greater sense of connection to people around the world.”
Dr Ken Kremer/Space Upclose interview with Spectrum News 13 about SpaceX AMOS-17 and ULA AEHF-5 back to back launches Aug. 6 and 8, 2019. Screenshot: Ken Kremer/Spectrum 13
Ken is onsite at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for live reporting of the SpaceX AMOS-17 mission launch.

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.
………….

Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events

Ken’s upcoming outreach events:

Aug 7/8: Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings.  Learn more about the upcoming/recent SpaceX AMOS-17, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-18 launch to ISS, NASA Orion Ascent-2 Abort test  Falcon Heavy, NASA 2024 Moon landing goal, SpaceX Starlink-1, SpaceX Demo-1 launch/test failure, SpaceX Beresheet launch, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, Northrop Grumman Antares, SpySats and more

Ken will display his photos for sale



AMOS-17 prelaunch media briefing Aug. 2, 2019 with David Pollack, Spacecom CEO; and Chris Johnson, Boeing President, Satellite Systems International. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

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