SpaceX ABS/EUTELSAT-1 Launch Webcast [video]

mikeash · on March 2, 2015

I found this webcast pretty boring, in the best possible way. It started, they showed a promo video, completely nominal countdown, launch, go, everything on time and as it's supposed to be. Pretty cool.

jccooper · on March 2, 2015

Two and a half weeks between launches. Pretty good.

JshWright · on March 2, 2015

And three weeks until the next one.

Two9A · on March 2, 2015

Not including the Dragon 2's pad-abort test, which is ostensibly next week. That may slip, though.

lutorm · on March 2, 2015

Nice, that was like clockwork!

viraptor · on March 2, 2015

What did they show starting around T+00:09:17? Blue, stargate-like view...

Already__Taken · on March 2, 2015

Specifically, Liquid Oxygen.

The Kerosene tank is below that. You can tell because that RP1 tank would have a center shaft the LOX drains through to the engine.

valevk · on March 2, 2015

That's the fuel tank of the second stage. They want to capture the transfer into zero G.

Narkov · on March 2, 2015

Fuel tank.

Crito · on March 2, 2015

Oxidizer technically. Propellant is a good word that can be used for either fuel or oxidizer.

nraynaud · on March 2, 2015

interesting, this satellite company was using Ariane before. I guess the mood in Toulouse must be a bit strange.

Loic · on March 2, 2015

Fun Fact #1: Satmex originally bought the launch services from SpaceX as well as the satellite bus from Boeing, before being acquired by EutelSat in 2014. EutelSat 115W B was originally called Satmex 7.

From: http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/2x81fc/rspacex_eutel...

jcfrei · on March 2, 2015

ESA definitely has to step up its game if it wants to keep its leading market share in satellite launches.

louhike · on March 2, 2015

I cannot find what is the link with the city of Toulouse. As I'm currently living there, could you provide more details?

shasheene · on March 2, 2015

Probably because Airbus Defence and Space (formally known as EADS Astrium) -- the contractor which builds Ariane -- has a factory there: http://www.space-airbusds.com/en/locations/toulouse-gxq.html

nraynaud · on March 2, 2015

basically, the Ariane rockets partially built there and are controlled from there, and the satellites are built and controlled there.

I guess the meet each other pretty often, and now, the satellite guys are going out with another rocket company.

rsynnott · on March 2, 2015

> and now, the satellite guys are going out with another rocket company.

Looking quickly at a random handful of currently operating Eutelsat satellites, two launched by Ariane, one by Zenit (Russian/American/Norwegian/Ukranian), one by Proton (Russian), one by Atlas V (American). I think Eutelsat is already pretty familiar with the multi-vendor approach.

nraynaud · on March 2, 2015

oops, Ok. I couldn't find the info actually.

emidoots · on March 2, 2015

As a distant follower of SpaceX it's not obvious to me if the Falcon 9 will attempt a landing this time?

mikeash · on March 2, 2015

Elon Musk made a related tweet. The current rocket doesn't have enough extra propellant to land after a geosynchronous mission, but upgrades are coming that will allow it:

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/572257004938403840

gizmo686 · on March 2, 2015

According to /r/spacex, they will not be attempting to land because they are launching into geosynchronous orbit[1].

[1] http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/2x81fc/rspacex_eutel...

kiba · on March 2, 2015

There's no landing gear this time. Not enough margin to make it worthwhile.

agildehaus · on March 2, 2015

Not this time. They plan on having later F9 geo launches do this, however.