Monday, January 25, 2016
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Spaceway 3
2007-036A
Hughes Network Systems (HNS) satellite with digital signal processor, 10 Gbps router and Ka-band channels. Boeing/El Segundo BSS702-2000 satellite. Launch Ariane. To be launched to 95W for CONUS, Hawaii, Alaska coverage.
Mass 6075 kg full 3655 kg dry, size 5.1 x 3.2 x 3.4m with 40.9m span.
5ECA with Long fairing. Spaceway 3 is on a SAAB PAS1663S adapter on top of the 6.4m high Sylda 5A; BSAT 3A is on an EADS-CASA 1194V5 adapter.
| Spaceway 3 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Aug 14 | 2344 | Launch by Ariane 5 ECA V177 (L537) | |
| T+2:20 EAP sep | |||
| T+3:09 Fairing sep | |||
| 2352 | T+8:57 EPC MECO | -1074 x 176 x 5.9 | |
| 2353 | T+9:03 EPC sep | ||
| 2353 | T+9:07 ESC-A burn | ||
| 2007 Aug 15 | 0008 | T+24:52 ESC-A MECO | |
| 0011 | T+27:38 Spaceway 3 sep | ||
| 0016 | T+32:06 Sylda 5 sep | ||
| 0018 | T+34:10 BSAT-3a sep | ||
| 2007 Aug 16 | 631.10 272 x 35714 x 1.8 | ||
| 2007 Aug 24 | 1008.77 11765 x 42115 x 0.5 | ||
| 2007 Aug 27 | 1082.79 14924 x 42178 x 0.7 | ||
| 2007 Aug 29 | 1426.57 25405 x 45794 x 0.4 | ||
| 2007 Sep 2 | 1435.52 25791 x 45759 x 0.3 | ||
| 2007 Oct 6 | 1437.28 29736 x 41883 x 0.2 | ||
| 2007 Oct 17 | 1436.64 30782 x 40811 x 0.1 | ||
| 2007 Oct 23 | 1436.88 31979 x 39623 x 0.1 | ||
| 2007 Nov 2 | 1435.52 33326 x 38220 x 0.1 GEO 91.7W+0.16E/d | ||
| 2007 Nov 12 | 1434.95 34775 x 36753 x 0.1 GEO 93.5E+0.3E/d | ||
| 2007 Nov 20 | On station | 1436.14 35786 x 35788 x 0.1 GEO 94.9W | |
| 2008 Jan 28 | 1436.13 35783 x 35790 x 0.1 GEO 95.0W | ||
| 2013 Jun 12 | 1436.09 35785 x 35787 x 0.0 GEO 94.9W | ||
Friday, January 22, 2016
USA-129
1996-072A
The December 1996 Titan 4 launch was the first acknowledged by NRO as carrying a reconnaissance satellite, USA 129. It flew in an 0944 LTDN SSO, the west plane orbit and continued in space until 2014, operating for a remarkable 17 years.
| USA 129 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Dec 20 | 1804 | Launch by Titan 4 (K-13) | V SLC4E |
| 1806? | T+2:00 St 1 MES | ||
| 1806? | T+2:04 SRM sep | ||
| 1807? | T+3:59 Fairing | ||
| 1809? | T+5:09 St 2 MES | ||
| 1809? | T+5:10 St 1 sep | ||
| 1812? | T+8:50 St 2 MECO | ||
| 1813? | T+8:59 Titan 4 stage 2 sep | ||
| 96.6 145 x 1048 x 97.9 (UN) | |||
| 1996 Dec 30 | 95.18 156 x 898 x 97.9 (72B) | ||
| 1997 Jan 7 | 97.81 251 x 1057 x 97.7 (72A) | ||
| 1997 Oct 28 | 97.39 267 x 1000 x 97.83 (Seesat) | ||
| 2000 Apr 25 | 97.73 282 x 1017 x 97.89 | ||
| 2000 Apr 26 | 2000 | Apogee raise | |
| 2000 Sep 7 | 1900? | Apogee raise | 288 x 978 x 97.9 |
| 2000 Nov 29 | 97.00 289 x 940 x 97.8 | ||
| Apogee raise | 97.66 280 x 1012 x 97.8 | ||
| 2001 Feb 23 | 97.42 284 x 985 x 97.8 | ||
| 2001 Jul 6 | 97.06 282 x 953 x 97.8 | ||
| 2001 Jul 7? | Apogee raise | ||
| 2001 Jul 11 | 97.47 284 x 990 x 97.9 | ||
| 2001 Aug 2 | 97.39 281 x 985 x 97.9 | ||
| 2001 Aug 4? | Apogee raise | ||
| 2003 Jan 7 | 97.45 284 x 988 x 97.9 | ||
| 2003 Aug 11 | 97.07 272 x 964 x 97.8 | ||
| 2003 Dec | Orbit change | ||
| 2003 Dec 29 | 97.83 268 x 1041 x 97.80 | ||
| 2004 Mar 18 | Peri raise | 97.80 279 x 1027 x 98.0 | |
| 2005 Oct 13 | 1133 | orbit raise | |
| 2005 Oct 28 | 280 x 1018 x 98.0 | ||
| 2006 Mar 27 | 277 x 1045 x 97.9 | ||
| 2006 Jul 31 | 277 x 1030 x 97.9 | ||
| 2008 May 20 | 97.09 275 x 962 x 97.75 | ||
| 2011 Apr 18 | 96.43 290 x 884 x 97.7 | ||
| 2013 Aug 29 | 95.53 308 x 770 x 97.6 | ||
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
TJSW-1
2015-046A
\uni{ 通信技术试验卫星一号}{ }
Tongxin jishu shiyan weixing yi hao. (TJSW or TXJSSY), Communications engineering test satellite 1. Actually Qianshao-3, a SIGINT mission. CAST satellite, with a 32m dia antenna.| TJXSSY-1 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Sep 12 | 1542:04 | Launch by CZ-3B Y32 | Xichang |
| T+2:21 Booster sep | |||
| T+2:35 St 1 sep | |||
| T+2:39 St 2 burn | |||
| T+3:55 Fairing sep | |||
| T+6:37 St 2 sep | |||
| T+6:44 St 3 MES-1 | |||
| 1552 | T+10:19 St 3 MECO-1 | 208 x 635 x 27.1 | |
| 1603 | T+21:03 St 3 MES-2 | ||
| T+24:01 St 3 MECO-2 | 201 x 35824 x 27.1 | ||
| 1606 | T+24:20 St 3 RCS cutoff | ||
| 1607 | T+25:40 Payload sep | ||
| 2015 Sep 13 | 631.70 195 x 35823 x 27.1 | ||
| 2015 Sep 23 | 1436.06 35776 x 35795 x 0.2 GEO 155.0E | ||
| 2015 Oct 29 | 1436.11 35779 x 37794 x 0.1 GEO 155.1E | ||
Monday, January 18, 2016
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Suzaku
2005-025A
Astro-EII (named Suzaku after launch) was the replacement for Astro E. It had 4 XRT-I telescopes with 0.4m dia, f=4.75m, 175 shells, and one XRT-S with 0.4m dia, 4.50m, 168 shells, plus the HXD hard X-ray detector with 0.6 deg FOV. The telescopes are like those on Astro-E, but precollimator sections were added to reduce background, and the XRS detector was improved.
The XIS CCDs each have a 19 arcminute field of view. The long XRT has the XRS microcalorimeter in a 1.5m long dewar, giving an energy resolution of 6 eV with a 2.9 arcmin field of view in a 6 x 6 pixel array. The dewar is a 4-stage refrigerator with a mechanical cooler, a solid neon shell, a liquid helium stage, and an ADR (adiabatic demagnetizing refrigerator), putting the XRS focal plane at only 1.5 mK.
Although XMM-RGS and Chandra-LETG are more sensitive and higher resolution than XRS at soft energies, the reverse was to be true at 2-10 keV energies where XRS was designed to surpass other missions in sensitivity and resolution. The XRTs have 2 arcminute resolution, so the point source sensitivity would be worse than missions like Chandra.
Soon after launch a design error manifested. After several days observation of the internal calibration source, vented helium built up inside the spacecraft body and a thermal short developed between the cryogenic dewar and the structure, boiling off the cryogen and warming up the focal plane. Once gain there would be no astronomical observations with a spaceborne X-ray calorimeter. As a result of miscommunication between the various mission teams, it had not been realized that a design change in the spacecraft compared to the original Astro-E prevented gas vented from the instrument reaching the outside.
Suzaku nevertheless had a successful career using the XIS and HXD instruments which provided a broader spectral range than other then-operating missions.
ASTRO E-II was a stepped octagonal cylinder, 1700 kg mass, size 4.5m long (launch), 6.5m long (EOB extended), diameter 2.1 x 1.9m with 5.4m solar array span.
| ASTRO-E2 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Jul 10 | 0330 | Launch by M-V-6 | USC |
| T+1:15 St 2 burn | |||
| T+3:06 Fairing sep | |||
| T+3:20 St 2 sep | |||
| T+3:22 St 3 nozzle extend | |||
| T+3:25 St 3 burn (102s?) | |||
| 0335 | T+5:07? St 3 burnout | ||
| T+5:47 Begin attitude turn | |||
| T+7:02 End attitude turn | |||
| 0351 | T+21:47 Stage 3 sep | 295 x 538 x 31.4 | |
| 550 x 550 x 31 | |||
| T+2d Spindown | |||
| T+4d Solar panel deploy | |||
| T+5d optical bench extends | |||
| 2005 Jul 17 | DV1 | 304 x 537 x 31.4 | |
| 2005 Jul 17 | 2200? | DV2 | 356 x 536 x 31.4 |
| 2005 Jul 22 | 0020? | DV3 | 96.05 565 x 573 x 31.4 |
| XRS switchon | |||
| 2005 Aug 8 | XRS thermal failure | ||
| 2006 Nov 9 | XIS2 failed | ||
| 2015 Jun 1 | Power issues, intermittent comm | ||
| 2015 Aug 26 | end of ops | ||
| 2015 Sep 2 | transmitters off | ||
Payload:
- XRS-2 Xray Microcalorimeter, 0.1-10 keV
- XIS-2 X-ray CCD camera, 0.1-10 keV
- HXD-2/PIN Hard X-ray Detector, PIN diode detector, 10-50 keV
- HXD-2/GSO Hard X-ray Detector, Collimator/scintillator, 30-700 keV
- XRT-2 X-ray telescope for XRS
- XRT-2 X-ray telescopes (4) for XIS
- EOB Extensible Optical Bench