Friday, June 28, 2002

ICO F1

 2000-F02


The first ICO Global Communications satellite was lost when its Zenit-3SL launch vehicle failed on Mar 12. ICO F-1 was a 2750 kg Hughes HS-601M satellite and would have entered a 10300 km x 45 deg circular orbit. The Zenit-3SL vehicle took of from Boeing Sea Launch's Odyssey platform in the Pacific at 154W 0N. The second stage shut down 7 min into flight because of a prelaunch commanding error in the vernier system, A second stage valve remained open and by the time of ignition had lost more than 60 percent of its pressure. The satellite fell in the South Pacific, possibly south of Pitcairn. ICO's satellites carry multiple spot beams for mobile communications.

The satellite fell in the ocean 4300 km from the launch site in the S Pacific, perhaps around 25S 130W.

Planned orbit was 10390 x 10390 x 45. Presumably MECO-1 orbit was planned to be around 200 x 10390 x 40.


ICO 1 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

2000 Mar 12  1449:15  Launch by Zenit-3SL  SLO 
  T+2:25 St 1 sep, St 2 burn 
  T+2:58 Fairing 
 1456 T+7:41 St 2 premature MECO 
 1458 T+9:04 St 2 sep 
 1502 T+13:00? Apogee 200 km 

No comments:

Post a Comment

These Are Not My Beautiful Stories

  Summary: The chapters within are outlines for both future stories I’ve got planned (in the case that I never get around to writing them) a...