Posted on 02/02/2018 6:10:29 AM PST by BenLurkin
Arianespace of Evry, France, in a statement released Jan. 26, blamed a "trajectory deviation" for the break in communication with the rocket, which stopped sending telemetry 9 minutes and 26 seconds after liftoff, seconds after the rocket's second stage engine ignited.
Data from the U.S. Strategic Command's Space Track website indicates that the payloads from the launch are in orbits of about 235 by 43,150 kilometers, similar to the planned orbits of 250 by 45,000 kilometers. However, the satellites have orbital inclinations of about 21 degrees, far higher than planned inclination of 3 degrees.
Both SES and Yahsat have since confirmed the health of their respective spacecraft. Luxembourg-based SES said that SES-14 will take an additional four weeks to reach its orbital position over the Americas. Yahsat, based in the United Arab Emirates, said the hybrid chemical-electric propulsion Al Yah 3 satellite will use a "revised flight plan" to reach an operational orbit and begin service later this year.
Yahsat did not say by how much the off-track launch will set back the initiation of service with Al Yah 3, whose all Ka-band payload is split between Brazil and Africa, and will require a period of testing before serving customers. Al Yah 3 customers Eutelsat and Talia have Africa-focused business ventures that plan to use the satellite starting in June.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
“trajectory deviation”...Is that like a wardrobe malfunction, or a ‘glitch’.
In this case, it was a multiple deviation, i.e., a clusterfluke.
I’m recalling the Mars probe which accidentally impacted the surface because half of the flight programming used metric units and half of the programming didn’t. D’oh!
The Mars Climate Orbiter.
Not the kind of thing you want to see right before the same rocket is to launch the most expensive telescope ever built.
This should not be considered a 100% successful launch. The service life of both satellites will be shortened.
Orbit “correction” will use the on-board fuel that was slated for maneuvering and station keeping.
Not good, the Ariane 5 will launch NASA’s Webb telescope, you know “the telescope that ate astronomy”.
“planned orbits of 250 by 45,000 km with planned inclination of 3 degrees”
For such a low inclination, what’s the point of using such a highly elliptical orbit? It seems that a conventional geostationary orbit would have made more sense. Aren’t HEOs used to provide coverage in polar regions?
Diversity uber alles!
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