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19/08/01/2110201 story

Spacex Falcon 9 Launch of Amos-17 Satellite Scheduled for Sat/Sun Aug 3/4 or Maybe Not? [UPDATED]

posted by martyb on Friday August 02 2019, @10:02AM   
from the better-not-blow-this-one dept.

[UPDATE (20190802_112243 UTC): SpaceX tweeted:

Team is setting up an additional static fire test of Falcon 9 after replacing a suspect valve. Will confirm updated target launch date for AMOS-17 once complete. (3:06 PM - 1 Aug 2019)

Here's hoping everything is nominal. --martyb]

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete and team is assessing data—targeting August 3 for launch of AMOS-17 from Pad 40 in Florida

— SpaceX (@SpaceX)

While a successful static fire test isn't considered a huge milestone anymore, it's particularly important in this case because the customer, Spacecom, previously lost a satellite payload on a SpaceX flight in 2016. As a result, this launch will be provided to Spacecom free of charge, after that anomaly during the static fire testing resulted in an explosion of the launch vehicle and Spacecom's AMOS-6 satellite.

The new satellite, known as AMOS-17, will provide telecommunications access across the Middle East, Africa and Europe and will eventually finish up in a geostationary orbit around the Earth.

The launch schedule at Spaceflight Now has better data on the launch date and time:

Launch time: 2252-0020 GMT on 3rd/4th (6:52-8:20 p.m. EDT on 3rd)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Amos 17 communications satellite. Built by Boeing and owned by Spacecom Ltd. of Israel, Amos 17 will provide high-throughput broadband connectivity and other communications services over Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Delayed from May 27, June and July.

SpaceX regularly provides a live stream of its launches; this story will be updated when such a link becomes available to us.

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Original Submission

Related Stories

SpaceX Rechedules Amos-17 Launch to Tuesday Night 6 comments

martyb writes:

According to the SpaceFlight Now Launch Schedule:

Falcon 9 • Amos 17
Launch window: 2253-0021 GMT on 6th/7th (6:53-8:21 p.m. EDT on 6th)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Amos 17 communications satellite. Built by Boeing and owned by Spacecom Ltd. of Israel, Amos 17 will provide high-throughput broadband connectivity and other communications services over Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Delayed from May 27, June, July 24, Aug. 3 and Aug. 5. [Aug. 5]

Previously: Spacex Falcon 9 Launch of Amos-17 Satellite Scheduled for Sat/Sun Aug 3/4 or Maybe Not? [UPDATED]

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Original Submission

• Not the Amos-6 ReplacementNot the Amos-6 Replacement (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 02 2019, @12:33PM (2 children)

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 02 2019, @12:33PM (#874585)

  This satellite is not the replacement for Amos-6. This satellite was planned well before the loss of Amos-6. Another satellite, Amos-8 is being built by the same Israeli firm that built Amos-6 to replace Amos-6 and will be launched in the future. Originally the replacement was to be built by Loral but was later on moved to the Israeli Firm IAI.

  • Re:Not the Amos-6 ReplacementRe:Not the Amos-6 Replacement (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday August 02 2019, @01:10PM (1 child)

    by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Friday August 02 2019, @01:10PM (#874595) Journal

    https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-falcon-9-block-5-second-expendable-launch/ [teslarati.com]

    *SPOILER* (click to show) *SPOILER* (click to hide)

    
    In a small way, Falcon 9 B1047’s premature demise could easily be viewed as a sort of symbolic eye-for-an-eye sacrifice. Although not a literal 1:1 replacement, AMOS-17 is still essentially a follow-on to Amos-6, destroyed on September 1st, 2016 when Falcon 9 suffered an exotic COPV failure that led to a massive explosion (Musk called it a ‘fast fire’).

    Installed on top of the rocket during what was meant to be a pre-launch static fire test, the ~$200M+ Amos-6 satellite was not spared from the destruction and owner Spacecom ultimately received an insurance settlement it then used (in part) to purchase AMOS-17. Additionally, instead of accepting a cash payout from SpaceX, Spacecom chose the contractual alternative: a free Falcon 9 launch of their choice.

    Is it a coincidence that a Block 5 booster is going to be expended as part of that replacement launch? Almost certainly, yes. At a minimum, SpaceX – essentially launching for free per a contractual agreement with Spacecom – has clearly decided along with Spacecom that putting all of Falcon 9’s energy into AMOS-17 is preferable to withholding margin for a landing.

    Not the replacement, just the free launch.

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    Parent

    • Re:Not the Amos-6 Replacement(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday August 02 2019, @03:39PM

      by DannyB (5839) on Friday August 02 2019, @03:39PM (#874669) Journal

      Not the replacement, just the free launch.

      I heard there is no free lunch.

      --
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      Other people need assistance to hire some assistants.

      Parent

• extra careful(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Friday August 02 2019, @01:11PM

  by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Friday August 02 2019, @01:11PM (#874596) Journal

  SpaceX delays expendable Falcon 9 satellite launch for an unprecedented second static fire test [teslarati.com]

  They don't want to blow up another AMOS.

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