Se lanseaza satelitul Eutelsat 3B

[Meridian]

Eutelsat 3B va schimba satelitul ce se afla pe 3.1°E, in timp ce satelitul actual Eutelsat 3D se va muta pe 7.0°E !

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[Meridian]

A Zenit-3SL launch vehicle is standing tall atop its launch pad on the Odyssey Platform in the middle of the Pacific Ocean as preparations for liftoff continue as planned. Teams are working toward a launch at 21:10 UTC on Monday to set the stage for a one hour ascent mission of the Zenit-3SL to deliver the Eutelsat 3B communications satellite to Geostationary Transfer Orbit.

Following the initiation of the 72-hour countdown sequence on Friday, teams completed final preparations of the Odyssey Platform’s ground support equipment in preparation for the rollout of the Zenit-3SL rocket. Meanwhile, communications equipment was set up to ensure the Zenit rocket, the Odyssey Platform, the command ship and all the control centers in California and Russia can communicate with each other. The Eutelsat 3B satellite completed a final set of verifications and battery charging to get ready for launch.

Early on Sunday, local time, the hangar doors were opened and the 58.65-meter tall Zenit-3SL rocket was rolled out to the launch pad.
Using the Transporter-Erector, Zenit was raised to its vertical launch position and installed on the launch mount. Once in its launch position, Zenit-3SL was connected to propellant umbilicals and power/data connectors were mated. The rest of Sunday will be dedicated to detailed checkouts and testing of the Zenit launcher before the terminal countdown operation begins on Launch Day.

The Zenit-3SL launch vehicle stands 58.65 meters tall with a diameter of 3.9 meters. Fully fueled, the launcher weighs 465,800 Kilograms and is capable of delivering payloads of 13,500 Kilograms to Low Earth Orbit and 6,060kg to Geostationary Transfer Orbit. The launcher uses the two stages of the Zenit-2 vehicle with a Block DM-SL upper stage on top to provide re-start capability to reach a variety of orbits.
On Monday, Zenit-3SL will be powered up for final countdown operations and teams will make final close outs of the launcher and the Odyssey platform before link-bridge operations are ended and the Sea Launch Commander retreats to its launch position, five Kilometers from the platform. The Red Team will be aboard Odyssey to perform any last-minute tasks before being picked up by a Helicopter about three hours ahead of liftoff.

Around that time, propellant loading operations will be getting underway with the pressurization and chilldown of the LP’s Liquid Oxygen ground support system. Once transfer lines are chilled down, the tanks of the two stages of the Zenit-2 will be chilled down as well to prevent a shock when coming into contact with the –183°C LOX. LOX load on the Zenit starts at about T-2 hours and 30 minutes. The first stage of the vehicle receives 236,567kg of LOX while the second stage is filled with 59,431kg of oxidizer. Once at flight level, LOX will constantly replenished as it naturally boils off.

Loading the first and second stage with Kerosene commences about 90 minutes prior to launch. The first stage will be filled with 90,219kg and the second with 59,431kg of fuel. While fueling is in progress, the Zenit will complete a series of communication system checks, propulsion system verifications, flight control system tests and electrical checks.

The Block DM-SL upper stage will also complete final checkouts during the countdown and receive its flight software for this mission. Loading the upper stage with LOX commences around L-55 minutes after chilldown as a total of 11,290kg of oxidizer are loaded until about 20 minutes ahead of launch. Block DM-SL was filled with 4,560 Kilograms of Kerosene while the vehicle was still at Home Port.

Propellant loading will be completed by L-15 minutes and the Launch Team will put the Zenit through final reconfigurations for the Terminal Countdown Sequence and check the weather conditions at the equatorial launch site.

A final verification of the Odyssey platform’s trim will be performed to make sure it is stabilized in the proper position for launch. At T-15 minutes, the Transporter-Erector is retracted from the launch vehicle before rolling back inside the hangar. Eutelsat 3B will be switched to internal power and transition to its flight mode to allow the payload team to give their clearance for launch.

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Photo: Sea Launch
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Photo: Sea Launch
The hangar doors on Odyssey are closed to protect the equipment inside at liftoff and the launch team verifies a clear range and the automated countdown enters T-5 minutes. Over the final countdown minutes, Zenit transitions to internal power and begins pressurizing its propellant tanks for liftoff. Ten seconds before launch, the BIM hydraulics unit starts spinning up using high-pressure Helium to be able to provide hydraulic pressure to gimbal the four nozzles of the RD-171 main engine during flight. The launcher is transitioned to inertial mode at T-3.5 seconds.

The massive RD-171 first stage engine will ignite 3.5 seconds ahead of launch to build up thrust reaching 770,000 Kilogram-force at liftoff. Blastoff occurs when clocks reach zero and RD-171 has achieved operational conditions.
Picture
Photo: Sea Launch

The first stage of the Zenit-3SL is 32.9 meters tall, 3.9m in diameter and weighs 354,350kg at launch including 326,800kg of propellants that are consumed by the mighty RD-171 engine. RD-171 itself weighing 9,500 Kilograms, delivers 7.55 Meganewtons of thrust operating at a high chamber pressure of 245bar using oxygen-rich technology. Its four combustion chambers share common turbopump equipment but its nozzles can be gimbaled individually by up to 6.3 degrees to control the vehicle in flight.

Thundering uphill, the Zenit will make a pitch and roll maneuver to align itself with its precise ascent trajectory – sticking right to the equator, flying straight east. The launcher will pass maximum dynamic pressure one minute and six seconds into the flight as the first stage continues to power the vehicle.

Two minutes and 30 seconds after launch, the first stage shuts down for stage separation that is accomplished in hot staging mode. The RD-8 vernier engine of the second stage is ignited just before first stage cutoff to be able to take the second stage away from the spent first stage after separation using a pyrotechnic system. Seconds after staging, the RD-120 engine of the second stage is ignited.

Zenit's second stage is 10.4 meters in length and carries 82,500 Kilograms of propellants that are expended during a 4-minute 40-second main engine burn and a longer vernier burn.

At T+3 minutes and 51 seconds, the launcher will be 118 Kilometers in altitude, allowing the payload fairing to be jettisoned. Zenit uses a fairing that is 4.15 meters in diameter and 11.4 meters long to protect the satellite during atmospheric flight. With the fairing gone, Eutelsat 3B will continue its trip into orbit exposed, still powered by the second stage.
Following main engine cutoff, the RD-8 vernier will burn for about one more minute to inject the stack into a sub-orbital trajectory with an apogee of 185 Kilometers. At T+8 minutes and 31 seconds, the Block DM-SL upper stage is separated using pyrotechnics. Ten seconds later, the RD-58M main engine is ignited on its first burn.

Block DM-SL is 3.7m in diameter and 5.6m long with a launch mass of 19,711 Kilograms. It is equipped with an RD-58M main engine that delivers 83.4 Kilonewtons of thrust. The upper stage engine can support several re-starts to fly a number of mission profiles and Block DM-SL uses a bipropellant attitude control system.

The first Block DM-SL burn will be 4 minutes and 39 seconds in duration to achieve an orbit of 180 by 407 Kilometers right above the equator. After Block DM-SL cutoff, the stack will coast for 30 minutes and 50 seconds, flying across the Pacific Ocean, passing over South America before heading out over the Atlantic for the second engine start just before making landfall over Africa.

Igniting at T+43 minutes and 50 seconds, Block DM-SL will boost the stack into a highly elliptical orbit with an apogee at Geostationary Altitude. The targeted GTO is 385 by 35,636 Kilometers at zero inclination. Following engine cutoff at T+50:47, the stack coasts for 10 minutes to re-orient for spacecraft separation that takes place over the Indian Ocean at T+60 minutes and 37 seconds as Eutelsat 3B is sent on its way at an altitude of 2,108 Kilometers.

Block DM-SL will close out its mission with avoidance maneuvers and passivation.

[Meridian]

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[Meridian]

Satelitul a fost lansat cu succes.

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On its way to 3° East. Eutelsat’s new satellite to enter service in July Paris, 27 May 2014 – Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) announces the successful launch of its EUTELSAT 3B satellite by a Zenit-3SL rocket operated by Sea Launch AG from the ocean-based Odyssey Launch Platform in the Pacific Ocean.

Lift-off of the rocket carrying the six-tonne satellite took place on Monday 26 May at 21.10 GMT/UTC. After a 1-hour flight, the Zenit-3SL booster released EUTELSAT 3B into geosynchronous transfer orbit. Partial deployment of the satellite’s solar array was carried out successfully within two hours of spacecraft separation.

Commenting after launch and first manoeuvres, Eutelsat Chairman and CEO, Michel de Rosen said: “We are delighted to see EUTELSAT 3B on its way to 3 degrees East and thank Sea Launch and Energia for this flawless launch. EUTELSAT 3B will be a strong platform for growth at our 3° East orbital position. Its exceptional range of payloads will enable us to tailor our response to customers operating broadband, data, telecom and video services in a vast footprint spanning from Brazil to Central Asia.”

Following early orbit operations which include circularising the satellite’s orbit, fully extending solar arrays and deploying antennas, EUTELSAT 3B will undergo a full series of in-orbit tests. The latest satellite to Eutelsat’s fleet is expected to enter full commercial service in July.

Built for Eutelsat by Airbus Defence and Space using its E3000 platform, EUTELSAT 3B has been designed to increase and diversify Eutelsat’s resources and footprint at its 3° East orbital position. The first commercial satellite to assemble Ku, C and Ka payloads in a single platform, it will operate up to 51 transponders. Its innovative tri-band configuration will enable customers to select from three frequency bands connected to footprints covering Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Brazil.

EUTELSAT 3B will replace the EUTELSAT 3D satellite that will subsequently be copositioned with EUTELSAT 7A at 7° East to provide expansion capacity and enhanced in-orbit security for data, telecom and video markets in Europe, Turkey and Africa.

[Meridian]

=== 11.06.2014 ===

Satelitul Eutelsat 3B se afla in teste pe 1.7°E