Posted on 08/13/2016 8:00:06 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine
For the second time this year, SpaceX is preparing to launch a commercial communications satellite for Tokyo-based SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. early Sunday.
A Falcon 9 rocket is set to blast off at 1:26 a.m. EDT (0526 GMT) from Cape Canaveral with the JCSAT 16 satellite to relay data and video across Japan and the Asia-Pacific. A first stage landing attempt will follow in the Atlantic Ocean a few minutes later.
The launch window extends for two hours.
On Saturday, ground crews at Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 launch pad plan to roll the Falcon 9 rocket out of its hangar for the more than 600-foot (200-meter) journey to its launch position. Mounted on a transporter-erector, the rocket will be lifted vertical and pointed skyward ahead of the start of the countdown.
In the final few hours before liftoff, the SpaceX launch team stationed a few miles to the south of the launch pad just outside the gate to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station will oversee the activiation of the two-stage rocket's computer and electronics, checks of its communications, telemetry and beacon systems, and a test of the Falcon 9's destruct mechanism, which would used to end the flight if the vehicle flew off course.
Fueling of the Falcon 9 with super-chilled RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen should begin around 12:56 a.m. EDT (0456 GMT), a few minutes after a final poll of the launch team to verify their readiness.
The terminal countdown sequence will kick off at 1:16 a.m. EDT (0516 GMT). Moments later, small quantities of liquid propellant will begin flowing through the Falcon 9's engine section to chill down the rocket's nine Merlin 1D main engines for ignition.
The Falcon 9 rocket will also be switched to internal battery power, its navigation system will be configured for flight, and its propellant tanks will be pumped up to flight pressure.
The rocket's main computer will send the command to ignite the nine Merlin 1D main engines at about T-minus 3 seconds. Once the engines pass an automated health check -- a quick look at each engine's operating parameters -- clamps at the base of the Falcon 9 will release and the booster will climb into the sky.
It will take about 32 minutes for the Falcon 9 to deploy the JCSAT 16 communications satellite into a "supersynchronous" transfer orbit with a top altitude stretching well above the spacecraft's eventual operating post nearly 22,300 miles (35,800 kilometers) above the equator.
JCSAT 16's own thruster will reshape its orbit in the coming weeks to circularize its path in geostationary orbit over the equator, where it will begin its 15-year service life as a backup in SKY Perfect JSAT's fleet.
SpaceX already launched one SKY Perfect JSAT spacecraft -- JCSAT 14 -- this year. That mission went up successfully May 6.
The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket is about to take off for the eighth time this year. Sunday's early morning flight will mark the 28th Falcon 9 launch overall.
The mission will also be the 11th time SpaceX has tried to recover a Falcon 9 first stage booster intact after a vertical propulsive descent from the edge of space.
Landing of the first stage on SpaceX's recovery ship about 370 miles (600 kilometers) east of Cape Canaveral is expected less than nine minutes after liftoff.
Five of the 10 previous landing attempts have worked, including three of eight tries at sea. The other two rocket landings -- both successful -- occurred on land at Cape Canaveral.
Gearing up for its next commercial mission, SpaceX is looking at another heavy satellite delivery to a high-energy Geostationary Transfer Orbit. Falcon 9 is set for liftoff with the JCSat-16 satellite on Sunday, August 14, 2016 during a two-hour window opening at 5:26 UTC, 1:26 a.m. local time at the Cape Canaveral Launch Site. Due to the energy involved in this mission, the first stage will face a very tough re-entry en-route to its experimental landing on the Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship.
Launch Date: August 14, 2016
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 FT
Launch Site: SLC-40 Cape Canaveral
Launch Window: 01:26 - 03:26 UTC
Payload: JCSat-16 (4,600kg)
Ascent Duration: 32 min & 13 sec
Target Orbit: Geostationary Transfer
1st Stage Landing: T+8.5 Minutes
Live coverage at the link or these below:
http://original.livestream.com/spaceflightnow
JCSAT-16 Hosted Webcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZTCEO0gvLo
JCSAT-16 Technical Webcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OERDIFnFvHs
Videos:
SpaceX - JCSAT-16 - Pre-Launch 8.13.2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtr72qBYP-s
SpaceX High Speed Footage | Past Missions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKqY8sy3nkM
Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy Launch Schedule
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches
Falcon 9FT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9_Full_Thrust
SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets preparing for JCSAT-16 and Amos-6 launches
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/08/spacex-falcon-9-preparation-jcsat-16-amos-6/
Which one?
I have one more website for the live launch coverage.
SpaceX Webcast
http://www.spacex.com/webcast
SpaceFlightNow.com Twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow
SpaceX Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SpaceX
Elon Musk Twitter:
https://twitter.com/elonmusk
SpaceX Fakebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SpaceX/
SpaceFlightNow:
https://www.facebook.com/spaceflightnow/
With Falcon 9 it’s always white knuckle time....
I just gots a black screen and countdowen...................
SFN has really gone into the crapper for live launch coverage.
I’m headed to the cape on the 19th to watch the Delt launch up close and personal. My daughter’s college roommate is an engineer on the Delta and they are taking a bus of family and friends in and invited me. But now I’m going to open the drapes and watch this one.
kEWL!
T minus four minutes!
One minute to go!
30 seconds!
Here we go!
Liftoff!
First stage separation and second stage ignition!
Fairing sep!
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