Posted on 02/01/2013 6:16:52 AM PST by Hoodat
The launch of a Russian rocket carrying an American communications satellite ended in disaster today after it plunged into the sea 40 seconds after blast-off.
Grainy footage of the launch being streamed online was cut shortly after 6.56am GMT when the space-bound vessel got into trouble.
The Swiss-based Sea Launch company sent up their Zenit-3SL rocket from the Odyssey Launch Platform in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.
However, the vessel – along with its Intelsat 27 telecommunications satellite inside - suffered a failure during the first stage of its flight.
It is claimed the rocket’s engines shut off stopped automatically because its trajectory was wrong.
Odyssey sits on the equator and is a launch pad made from a converted oil rig.
A team control its flight from a boat six kilometres away. A team is now searching for the downed rocket. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
No Dish Network for You!
They probably don’t have a muslim outreach program. It’s no wonder their rockets crash into the ocean.
Isn’t Obamunism great??
How much was the insurance on the satellite? Did it also have a loss of income clause in which the fees charged by the satellite company that are lost are covered?
What is the financial situation of the company that was to own and own and operate the satellite? Was it funded by the US Government in any respect?
How far in advance of the launch was it paid for? Did the Russians guarantee their product?
What was it to be used for any be whom?
Are the launchers to be responsible?
I would sure like to follow the money trail on this one.
Rockets into space have been around a long time.
What was the defect?
I smell one big rat on this one and it has Mideast chicanery written all over it.
And, if it were my satellite, I'd be right there watching them pick up the pieces from the ocean floor while I watched ;-)
Did I read that right, they launched it from a platform IN the ocean? Why would they do that?
Surely comrade you know this was an accident! Or do you want a visit from Comrade Cousin Borislav and his friend Comrade Moose of the KGB?
Low earth orbit is about 8 Km/sec. If you launch from latitude 45 degrees, your initial orbit has an inclination of 45 degrees. When your rocket crosses the equator you need to have a burn to change your inclination to 0 degrees. From 45 to 0 degrees takes 6 Km/sec of delta V. So from the equator it takes 8 Km/sec, and from 45 degrees it takes 14 Km/sec. That is 75% more energy to lift the same amount of stuff...
excellent response, Thank you.
... an Iranian space-monkey wrench was found in the wreckage.
SEALAUNCH. How much business does SEALAUNCH do these days? As for the destroyed rocket, I wonder if the sat is still sitting someplace being scrutinized and all that was lost was the rocket. CONSPIRACY ALERT!!!! LOL!
Based on the Boeing 702MP satellite bus, Intelsat 27 was designed to provide fifteen or more years of service to Intelsat customers in North America, South America, the Atlantic Ocean region and Europe. The spacecraft had a mass of 6,241 kilograms (13,760 lb), and was equipped with 20 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders for commercial users, as well as 20 UHF transponders for military use.[1][2] Originally intended for the United States Navy, the UHF payload was to have been leased to the government of Italy following the US Department of Defense withdrawing.[1] The satellite would have been positioned at 55.5° West in geostationary orbit, co-located with Intelsat 805 and Galaxy 11.[3]
Yep - never trust the placement of a satellite to a country who has no reason to want it to be placed. We probably paid up front with no guarantees (self-insured via the tax payers).
Because it's obviously much more stable than launching from the ground! And it has the added benefit of making it much harder for others to keep an eye on what you're doing out there ;-)
Ran outta gas?
And this is our only mechanism for reaching the space station! Thanks Obama.
Thanks to Martin Schweiger and his excellent simulator Orbiter, I understood every bit of what you said. Good post! =D
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