SpaceX FH - ViaSat-3 Americas - LC-39A

Launch Date: April 30
Launch Window: 7:29pm EDT (4:29pm PDT, 23:29 UTC)
Launch site: LC-39A, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Side Booster Recovery: N/A Expended
Core Booster Recovery: N/A Expended
Boosters: Side Boosters: B1052.8 and B1053.3 Center Core: B1068.1
Mass: 6,400 kg ViaSat 3 and 300 kg Arcturus
Orbit: GEO (Direct)
Yearly Launch Number: 29

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the ViaSat 3 Americas broadband communications satellite. ViaSat 3 Americas is the first of at least three new-generation Boeing-built geostationary satellites for ViaSat. A small communications satellite named Arcturus will launch as a secondary payload for Astranis. A third cubesat will also be deployed: Nusantra H-1A at 22 kg. This mission will directly inject the satellites to geostationary orbit, thus the core and side boosters are all expendable alongside having the sixth second stage featuring Falcon mission-extension kit.

The entire stack for this launch will be expended. A first for Falcon Heavy.

ViaSat-3

www.viasat.com

ViaSat 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 (ViaSat 3 Americas, APAC, EMEA)

The ViaSat 3 series of high capacity broadband satellite for ViaSat Inc consists of three satellites for global coverage.

space.skyrocket.de

G-Space 1 (GS 1, Nusantara H-1A)

G-Space 1 is a geostationary 16U CubeSat by Gravity Space hosting several payloads for different customers including Earth observation, scientific ...

space.skyrocket.de

"SpaceX Falcon Heavy Blastoff (1 of 7)" by jurvetson is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Admin note: Image added for Blog Feed thumbnail

 

[Cosmacelf]

when did SpaceX snag this contract? I wonder if it was originally slated for a different rocket? Anyways, interesting that we have a fully disposable Falcon Heavy launch.

 

[Grendal]

when did SpaceX snag this contract? I wonder if it was originally slated for a different rocket? Anyways, interesting that we have a fully disposable Falcon Heavy launch.

Here is an article on the choice of the FH.

Viasat books Falcon Heavy for ViaSat-3 launch

Viasat books Falcon Heavy for ViaSat-3 launch

spacenews.com

 

[Electroman]

I can’t remember the last time when they ditched everything at sea

 

[Grendal]

I can’t remember the last time when they ditched everything at sea

November of 2022 there were back to back booster expenditures: Galaxy 31 + 32 and Eutelsat 10B. Both launches used up older boosters B1049.11 and B1051.14 on heavy GTO launches.

 

[bxr140]

I can’t remember the last time when they ditched everything at sea

I don't think FH has ever fully expended.

Best guess is that SX had some aspiration that direct-to-GEO would be a market and so they gave Viasat a good deal to get one on the books. Adding the Astranis sat later probably enabled SX to recoup some of the cost. Its probably also worth noting that Viasat's other two V-3 launches are on much more expensive [than F9] Atlas 5 and Ariane 5 variants; its probably fair to assume Viasat had much more than F9 $$$'s set aside for each of the three sats' launches.

 

[Grendal]

 

[bxr140]

That’s a massive satellite.

• The tall ‘cylinder of sticks’ is the unfurlable reflector—it’s huge. It’s at least 18m diameter, and maybe more.
• The smaller cylinder to the right is the boom to get that reflector way the ‘eff out there (so the antenna system has the right focal geometry)
• The silver angled part above that smaller boom is the feed array (or at least part of the feed away). Ka is small!
• Both the north and south panels (front left face and [hidden] rear right face) have massive deployable thermal radiators. They’re stowed right now. The side that's facing out right now will have albedo to the satellite when deployed and so is covered in MLI. The radiator panel mechanical hinges and the heatpipe coils (that enable a 180° deployment of sealed heat pipes) are on the right edge of that face. The angles at the top of the panels are so the whole thing fits in the fairing. Too big of a square peg to fit the round hole, as it were.
• The solar panels are also huge. I think this sat is 25+kW EOL. One wing is (obviously) stowed against the front left side of the sat, the other is hidden.
• The red cylinders at the bottom are RBF covers for 2 of the 4 (also huge) plasma thrusters. The thruster on the lower left has what appears to be a white RBF cover on it and is mounted (maybe stowed--can't tell if they gimbal) at a different angled than the two on the right, ostensibly because of the way offset CG once the reflector is deployed.
• Note the obligatory 1960's clock on the wall. Can't have a highway without one.
• bxr in a previous life would NOT be happy with the techs laying the taglines directly on the solar panel like that…

 

[Electroman]

Lots of information over my head.

What is that big iron board kind of thing? Radiator panel ?

 

[scaesare]

That’s a massive satellite.

• Note the obligatory 1960's clock on the wall. Can't have a highway without one.

LOL.. that's awesome.. and somehow seems "right".

 

[scaesare]

Lots of information over my head.

What is that big iron board kind of thing? Radiator panel ?

Believe what you are referring to is what @bxr140 described as:

• Both the north and south panels (front left face and [hidden] rear right face) have massive deployable thermal radiators. They’re stowed right now. The side that's facing out right now will have albedo to the satellite when deployed and so is covered in MLI. The radiator panel mechanical hinges and the heatpipe coils (that enable a 180° deployment of sealed heat pipes) are on the right edge of that face. The angles at the top of the panels are so the whole thing fits in the fairing. Too big of a square peg to fit the round hole, as it were.

 

[bxr140]

Lots of information over my head.

FWIW you’re probably closer than you think to understanding it. I probably should have linked a picture of the deployed sat too…

ViaSat-3

What is that big iron board kind of thing? Radiator panel ?

Yep. If you look closely at the deployed picture in the link above you can see that ironing board shape in four places...or at least, you can kinda see one ironing board shape and a bit of the second and can hopefully imagine the other two on the far side. Two of those ironing boards are just two sides/panels of the satellite that can efficiently move The Thermals from hot places to cooler places, and mounted on the inner face of those two panels are a lot of the hot-running equipment that need to dissipate a lot of heat (amplifiers and such).

This satellite's equipment (including the feed array, which isn't directly mounted on the panels) puts out so much heat Boeing had to add two additional ironing boards that swing out after the solar arrays deploy, more or less doubling the thermal dissipation capability.

 

[Grendal]

 

[Grendal]

And.....24 hour delay.

 

[bxr140]

Yikes!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1651740386769944579

 

[Grendal]

Elon tweeted that they're going for it.

 

[Grendal]

Abort called. Clock has been reset. Maybe still happening. Nope. 24 hour delay.

 

[Electroman]

Called off for today. Next attempt tomorrow same time.

Hopefully we will know the reason soon

 

[Grendal]

New Webcast:

 

[zoomer0056]

Next launch window Sunday April 30, 7:29PM ET.