SpaceX F9 - Nilesat 301 - SLC-40

[Grendal]

Launch Date: June 8
Launch Window: 5:03pm EDT (2:03pm PDT, 21:03 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
Core Booster Recovery: ASDS - JRTI
Booster: B1062.7
Fairings: Reused
Mass: 4100 kg
Orbit: GTO
Yearly Launch Number: 23rd

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Nilesat 301 geostationary communications satellite. Nilesat 301, built by Thales Alenia Space, will provide digital broadband and internet connectivity services for the Egyptian operator Nilesat.

Apparently the idea of doing a direct injection to GEO and expending B1049.10 was scrapped.

Nilesat 301

Nilesat 301 is a Egyptian geostationary communication satellite operating in Ku- and Ka-bands.

space.skyrocket.de

 

[Electroman]

Interesting! a booster that is ditched into the ocean is a rare event. Heavier payload? Higher orbit?

 

[bxr140]

It’s a pretty light spacecraft. Could be going to a higher energy transfer orbit? Maybe it’s a planned first stage retirement anyway.

 

[ecarfan]

This Block 5 booster has flown 10 missions. Three other boosters have flown 12 times. I guess this geostationary orbit needs everything the booster has to give.

 

[Grendal]

It’s a pretty light spacecraft. Could be going to a higher energy transfer orbit? Maybe it’s a planned first stage retirement anyway.

I think it is both. The light payload is going for a direct injection into GEO from what I'm reading. I'm leaving the GTO on the first post until I get confirmation. If true, I'm sure they paid extra to get the direct injection and sacrificing a possibly reusable booster.

 

[bxr140]

Would be interesting to know price to the customer—even with the pricing of falcon, The Rocket Equation is hard to beat. For all but extreme corner case missions (and I can’t think of any FYI) it’s still more cost effective to insert into GTO and have the satellite do the apogee burns.

What that really means is for pretty much any mission, additional insertion energy is a downstream opportunity (rather than a front end requirement) and thus needs an attractive price tag in order for the customer to elect. (As previously discussed I’m sure, for EP orbit raising missions, there’s also a revenue element to offset the additional launch cost since the extra boost can reduce months of EOR)

Given the very light satellite—and so, no “oh *sugar*” moments on the mass budget which can happen with sats that are pushing the mass limits—best guess is this tail was slated for retirement anyway. There’s a non-zero chance SX is practically giving this one away.

 

[Grendal]

I think it is both. The light payload is going for a direct injection into GEO from what I'm reading. I'm leaving the GTO on the first post until I get confirmation. If true, I'm sure they paid extra to get the direct injection and sacrificing a possibly reusable booster.

New information has arrived.
So this will end up being a traditional GTO launch using one of the remaining regular boosters in the stable: B1062.

The fate of B1049 remains to be seen or discovered.

 

[Grendal]

Weather is good.

 

[Grendal]

Moderator personal note:
I am on vacation for a couple weeks. I think I have all the potential launches lined up. The data will be off if anything changes or there is a delay.
Upcoming are:
June 8: Nilesat 301 - this one
June 10: CRS-25
June 15: Starlink 4-19
June 18: SARah 1 (West Coast RTLS)

 

[Electroman]

Moderator personal note:
I am on vacation for a couple weeks. I think I have all the potential launches lined up. The data will be off if anything changes or there is a delay.
Upcoming are:
June 8: Nilesat 301 - this one
June 10: CRS-25
June 15: Starlink 4-19
June 18: SARah 1 (West Coast RTLS)

Who gave you permission to go on vacation?

 

[808?]

 

[HVM]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1534645003871395840

https://twitter.com/x/status/1534650963398516737

https://twitter.com/x/status/1534644636739936256

 

[HVM]

 

[ecarfan]

@HVM who are you crediting those very fine photos to? Or did you take them?

 

[HVM]

@HVM who are you crediting those very fine photos to? Or did you take them?

CC BY-NC 2.0 BY Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1534684542304256000

 

[Electroman]

CC BY-NC 2.0 BY Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Never heard of them.

 

[scaesare]

Never heard of them.

A sham, no doubt.