Launch of Falcon 9 with payload Thaicom-8

The AmericaSpace Live Launch and Event Tracker has up to the minute information of the progress of the upcoming rocket launches, and space related events with live updates and video where available. Covering all the major spaceports across the United States.

Mission Live Updates 26May2016 18:08:20 EDT T-0 confirmed by SpaceX The new T-0 is confirmed by SpaceX and is now shown on the holding clock for the live video.

26May2016 18:07:00 EDT New T-0 7:36 being coordinated SpaceX have set a new T-0 of 7:36pm EDT (23:36 GMT) right at the end of the launch window. To achieve this they will need to start tanking operations at 7:31pm

26May2016 17:49:24 EDT Fuelling has started With no official word of what is happening our guys located on site are seeing the typical plume of vapour streaming from the Falcon 9 which signifies that LOX is being loaded onto the rocket. For this to be underway either they have already set a new T-0, or there is a problem that was identified after fuelling started.

With the new super-cold propellants they can only be tanked and maintained for a short period of time before they start to warm up and the rocket engines would not be able to perform to rated thrust.

26May2016 17:27:37 EDT Launch window extends to 7:40pm EDT With just under 15 minutes before the launch window opens there remains about 1 hour 40 minutes before an automatic scrub would be called if fuel does not start flowing. There is no word yet as to what issues are being worked, or if indeed anything is.

26May2016 17:23:27 EDT Awaiting a new T-0 time With SpaceX delaying the start of the tanking operations the launch time or T-0 will be pushed back into the 2 hour launch window. The launch window allows the mission teams to adjust the launch time anywhere within the 2 hours. However with 35 minutes required to fuel the rocket the fuel must start to flow at least 35 minutes prior to the close of the window.

26May2016 17:20:18 EDT SpaceX confirm fuelling has not started "Launch team finalizing review of vehicle data and check outs. Will move T-0 into the 2 hour window"

26May2016 17:09:18 EDT Still no confirmation that fuelling has started. In order to make the targeted T-0 of 5:40pm the fuel must have started to flow at T-35 minutes. Currently there has not been any confirmation of the tanking operations.

26May2016 17:06:22 EDT Fuelling should be started now We are waiting to hear if the fuelling of the Falcon 9 booster and 2nd stage is underway.

26May2016 17:00:50 EDT SpaceX will attempt a 1st Stage Booster landing tonight Yet again SpaceX will attempt another landing on the Droneship. And once again they are managing expectations suggesting that there is a high chance of failure due to the high velocities involved in injecting the payload into orbit.

The ASDS "Of course I still love you" is holding station just over 400 miles east of the Cape Canaveral launch site hoping to capture the returning booster some 10 minutes after launch.

26May2016 16:55:17 EDT L-50 Minutes Getting ready to enter the frantic last 40 minutes of the countdown. During the last few hours the rocket, satellite and launch systems have all gone through extensive testing to ensure that all is ready for today's launch attempt.

At L-38 minutes there will be a GO/NO GO poll to commence fuelling. The latest revision of the Falcon 9 uses propellants that are colder than normal. In fact the Liquid Oxygen is slush, almost solid. It is the extra chilled propellants that give the rocket the additional power that has been wrung out of the 9 Merlin engines.

At L-35 minutes the fuelling will start with both RP-1 and LOX for both stages being pumped on board.

26May2016 15:57:15 EDT T-90 minutes The countdown appears to be running smoothly. Over the past few hours the engineers have been checking out systems both on board the rocket, the Payload and the Ground Systems. All of the main activity is crammed into the last 35 minutes of the countdown when the fast fuelling commences as the countdown heads towards the automated terminal count at T-10 minutes.

26May2016 12:37:02 EDT Falcon 9 on pad preparing for launch L-5 Hours and counting. The countdown has begun for today's Falcon 9 Launch. Just a short while ago our media team were escorted to the launch pad to place still and video cameras to capture the launch. They also took the opportunity to take some images of the pre-launch preparations whilst they were there.

The payload for this launch will be the THAICOM 8 satellite, a commercial communications satellite built by Orbital ATK, and its mission is to provide Ku-band communications coverage for South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The satellite will be delivered to a supersynchronous transfer orbit that will later be reduced by the satellite to an approximately 35,800 kilometers circular geostationary orbit.

THAICOM 8 will be the fifth operational satellite for Thaicom.
When THAICOM 8 launches, it will strengthen Thaicom’s broadcast platform at 78.5 degrees east longitude–providing South Asia and Southeast Asia with broadcast and data services.

Orbital ATK was selected by Thaicom PLC to build their eighth satellite, Thaicom 8. The Thaicom 8 satellite design is based on Orbital ATK’s highly successful, flight-proven, GEOStar™-2 satellite platform, and will be manufactured and tested at Orbital ATK’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia.

Thaicom 8 will be located at 78.5 degrees East Longitude and carry a Ku-band payload that will generate approximately 5 kilowatts of payload power. The Ku-band payload will be comprised of 24 active transponders providing services to Thailand, India and Africa.

Orbital ATK’s highly successful Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) communications satellites are based on the company’s GEOStar spacecraft platform, which is able to accommodate all types of commercial communications payloads and is compatible with all major commercial launchers. The company’s GEOStar product line includes the GEOStar-2 design, which is optimized for smaller satellite missions that can support up to 5.0 kilowatts of payload power. Orbital ATK has also developed the higher-power GEOStar-3 spacecraft design, delivering the next increment of payload power for applications between 5.0 and 8.0 kilowatts, allowing Orbital ATK to offer its innovative and reliable satellite design to the medium-class of communications satellites.

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