SES-9
.jpg) SES-9 satellite in its payload fairing in preparation for launch on a Falcon 9 rocket | |
| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | SES[1] |
| COSPAR ID | 2016-013B |
| SATCAT № | 41381 |
| Mission duration | 15 years[1] |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | BSS-702HP[1] |
| Manufacturer | Boeing[1] |
| Launch mass | 5,271 kilograms (11,621 lb)[2] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 4 March 2016 |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 full thrust |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric[1] |
| Regime | Geostationary[1] |
| Longitude | 108.2° East[1] |
| Transponders | |
| Bandwidth | 81 ku transponders with frequency equivalent to 36 Mhz each |
SES-9 is a geostationary communication satellite operated by SES S.A. SES-9 was successfully launched on Falcon 9 full thrust on 4 March 2016.
Satellite
The payload on Flight 22 is SES-9, a large commsat intended to eventually operate in geostationary orbit in an orbital slot at 108.2 degrees east longitude, providing communication services to northeast Asia, South Asia and Indonesia, as well as maritime communications for vessels in the Indian Ocean,[3] as well as provide mobility beams for "seamless in-flight connectivity for domestic Asian flights operating in countries like Indonesia and the Philippines".[4]
The satellite was built by Boeing, using a model BSS-702HP satellite bus.[5]
SES-9 had a mass of approximately 5,271 kilograms (11,621 lb) at launch,[2] the largest Falcon 9 payload yet to a highly-energetic geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).[4]
Market and coverage
SES-9 has 57 high-power Ku-band transponders, equivalent to 81 transponders of 36 MHz bandwidth and, co-located at 108.2°E alongside SES-7, it will provide additional and replacement capacity for DTH broadcasting and data in North east Asia, South Asia and Indonesia, and maritime communications for the Indian Ocean. Broadcasts are on six Ku-band coverage beams:[6]
- South Asia Beam. Centred on India with a 55dBW signal (40cm dish) and taking in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and parts of Myanmar.
- North East Asia Beam. Centred on the Philippines with a 55dBW signal (40cm dish) and taking in the eastern seaboard of China and parts of Indonesia.
- South East Asia Beam. Centred on Indonesia with a 54dBW signal (45cm dish) and taking in Malaysia, Singapore, and parts of Papua New Guinea.
- West Indian Ocean Beam. Centred on the Gulf of Oman with a 53dBW signal (50cm dish) and taking in the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, and the western coast of India and Pakistan.
- East Indian Ocean Beam. Centred on the Bay of Bengal with a 54dBW signal (45cm dish) and taking in southern and eastern India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia.
- Australia Beam. Centred on Adelaide in Australia with a 55dBW signal (40cm dish) and taking in South Australia and parts of Western Australia, Northern Territory (including Alice Springs), New South Wales and Victoria.
Launch
A successful static fire test of the rocket was completed on 22 February 2016.[5]
Four launch attempts, on 24, 25, 28 and 29 February 2016, were aborted because of issues. The fifth launch attempt on 4 March 2016, 11:35 pm local time, was successful.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "SatBeams - Satellite Details - SES-9". SatBeams. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
- 1 2 Clark, Stephen (2016-02-24). "Falcon 9 rocket to give SES 9 telecom satellite an extra boost". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
SES 9’s launch weight is 11,620 pounds, or about 5,271 kilograms, [...] heavier than the Falcon 9 rocket’s advertised lift capacity to geosynchronous transfer orbit, an elliptical path around Earth that serves as a drop-off point for communications satellites heading for positions 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometres) above the equator, a popular location for powerful broadcast platforms. Geosynchronous transfer orbits targeted by satellite launchers typically have an apogee, or high point, of at least 22,300 miles and a low point a few hundred miles above Earth. [...] SES’s contract with SpaceX called for the rocket to deploy SES 9 into a “sub-synchronous” transfer orbit with an apogee around 16,155 miles (26,000 kilometres) in altitude. Such an orbit would require SES 9 to consume its own fuel to reach a circular 22,300-mile-high perch, a trek that Halliwell said was supposed to last 93 days. The change in the Falcon 9’s launch profile [is planned to] put SES 9 into an initial orbit with an apogee approximately 24,419 miles (39,300 kilometres) above Earth, a low point 180 miles (290 kilometres) up, and a track tilted about 28 degrees to the equator.
- ↑ "SES-9". SES. 2016-02-23. Archived from the original on 2016-02-21. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- 1 2 "SES-9 Mission" (PDF). Press Kit. SpaceX. 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
This mission is going to a Geostationary Transfer Orbit. Following stage separation, the first stage of the Falcon 9 will attempt an experimental landing on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship. Given this mission’s unique GTO profile, a successful landing is not expected.
- 1 2 Bergin, Chris (2016-02-22). "SpaceX Falcon 9 conducts Static Fire ahead of SES-9 launch". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
- ↑ SES-9 fact sheet SES. Accessed March 30, 2016
External links
- SES site
Media related to the launch of SES-9 at Wikimedia Commons