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SpaceX F9 - GPS III SV03 - SLC-40

Discussion in 'SpaceX' started by Grendal, Dec 10, 2019.

  1. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    #1 Grendal, Dec 10, 2019
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2020
    Launch Date: June 30
    Launch Window: 3:55-4:10 p.m. EDT (1955-2010 GMT)
    Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
    Booster Recovery: ASDS
    Booster: B1060
    Mass: 3,880 kg (8,553 lb)
    Orbit: Semi-synchronous MEO

    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force’s third third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The satellite is built by Lockheed Martin. The Air Force previously planned to launch the second GPS 3-series satellite on this mission.
     
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  2. ggr

    ggr Expert in Dunning-Kruger Effect!

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    Geosynchronous orbit really? I thought GPS were a lot lower than that.
     
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  3. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    Semi-synchronous MEO according to wiki. Corrected.
     
  4. e-FTW

    e-FTW New electron smell

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    Air Force was nice enough to post amazing pics of the booster (more pics inside): Imgur

    I want that office...
    4890AA3F-E3FD-4AF9-AE23-0A7F0314FAC3.jpeg
     
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  5. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    Delayed until April. I expect the delay doesn't come from SpaceX.
     
  6. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    The satellite just arrived at the Cape for the future launch.
     
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  7. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    First post updated with known information. The Air Force will now let SpaceX attempt to recover the core.
     
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  8. e-FTW

    e-FTW New electron smell

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    McGregor static fire test was good on 1/13, per Air Force: Twitter
     
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  9. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    #9 Grendal, Mar 29, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2020
    Sill looking good for April. They began media accreditation for the launch.

    Launch date and time added with current information.
     
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  10. ggr

    ggr Expert in Dunning-Kruger Effect!

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    Delayed again, this time due to COVID-19, to early June.
     
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  11. e-FTW

    e-FTW New electron smell

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  12. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    Yes. B1060 is new and will be allowed to attempt recovery for this launch.
     
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  13. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    #13 Grendal, Jun 9, 2020
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2020
    Now we have a semi-official date and time.

    SpaceX needs to get this one up so they can hopefully recover the booster. They need it to keep the Starlink launches moving along quickly. Adding B1060 into the availability mix gives SpaceX 5 main boosters to launch from:

    B1049
    B1051
    B1058
    B1059
    B1060

    The quickest turnaround time for a Block 5 booster has been two months.
     
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  14. adiggs

    adiggs Active Member

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    Am I confused? I think I see 3 F9 launches on the schedule IN JUNE.

    Starlink 8 in a few days (12th)
    Starlink 9 10 days later (22nd)
    And this one 8 days later (30th)

    I wonder if Boeing has ever done 3 launches in a month, ever. Heck - I wonder what other entity has launched something into spaced 3 times in a month, ever.


    So what - Starlink 10 by July 10?
     
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  15. Pricee2

    Pricee2 Member

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    Starlink 7 launched June 4th. If the three launches adiggs listed in the above post all launch in June that will give Spacex 4 in June.
     
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  16. bxr140

    bxr140 Active Member

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    To be fair, that's a bit like asking "I wonder what diesel F250 has ever been electric"...

    I know I've beating this horse for years now, but its all about demand for a rocket company and explicitly not supply. Nobody's launched 3 of the same payload rockets in a month, because they're not structured to do so, because they don't need to be. SpaceX's internal demand has creates a modified paradigm there, and certianly their pricing has created a secondary effect of making [other] mega-constellations slightly more plausible, but the future of the mega constellation is still a little bit fuzzy.
     
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  17. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    It is four launches in June if they don't get delayed somewhere. If they do that the May 30th launch of Bob and Doug made it two days away from five launches in June! Which is also their entire available fleet of boosters. There are two others in final testing for approval but they aren't officially sanctioned boosters quite yet. Those two are already assigned to Crew 1 and GPS III SV04.
     
  18. e-FTW

    e-FTW New electron smell

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    Man that would be epic. All 5 boosters in inventory flown in a month to 5 weeks!
     
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  19. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    Static Fire for B1060 set for the 24th or 25th. So there could be two functional Falcon 9's on their two pads at the Cape at the same time - for the first time. Another landmark achievement for SpaceX.
     
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  20. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    It happened. Static fire for B1060 happened today. So two Falcon 9's were vertical on two launch pads at the Cape.
     
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