Launch Roundup: SpaceX, China, and Russia maintain busy launch manifests through the holidays

Date:
Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:49:05 +0000

Description:
So far in December, there have been 24 launch attempts worldwide. There will be no The post Launch Roundup: SpaceX, China, and Russia maintain busy launch manifests through the holidays appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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So far in December, there have been 24 launch attempts worldwide. There will be no let-up during the holiday period, with at least seven more launches planned for this week.

The SpaceX launch manifest for this week includes a single customer payload and three batches of Starlink satellites. SpaceXs target of 136 launches for the year could still be achieved, but the recent scrub of the Astranis: From One To Many mission casts doubt on whether the 136 launch target will be met.

Elsewhere, India will launch a satellite docking experiment mission, and Russia plans to launch an Earth observation satellite mission. China is preparing for a single launch from Jiuquan this week.

Filling of Resurs-P No. 5 satellite with fuel and compressed gases had been completed at Baikonur cosmodrome, after which the satellite was transported
to MIK No. 112 for the final stage of pre-flight preparation.

The launch of Resurs-P No. 5 is scheduled for late Dec 2024. pic.twitter.com/lOZhYap9YB

Russian Embassy in South Africa (@EmbassyofRussia) December 17, 2024



Roscosmos Soyuz 2.1b | Resurs-P No. 5

On Wednesday, Dec. 25, at 07:45:42 UTC, Russia will launch a Soyuz 2.1b
rocket from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

As described by Roscosmos, the payload consists of one satellite writing, The Resurs-P spacecraft No. 5 is designed for high-precision, detailed wide-selective and hyperspectral optical-electronic observation of the Earths surface to study natural resources, control pollution, and environmental degradation, search for mineral deposits, assess the state of the ice situation, monitoring emergency situations, creating and updating topographic and navigation maps.

The Soyuz 2.1b rocket used for this mission features decals describing it as the 2,000th R-7 rocket to be launched. The R-7 series was first built in 1957 as a missile but quickly became the workhorse of Soviet and Russian space missions.

The current Soyuz models are direct developments of the original R-7 model, with two major variants: the Soyuz 2.1a, which serves as a base version, and the Soyuz 2.1b, which utilizes a more powerful third stage. Soyuz 2.1b is powered by four RD-107A engines on the first stage (arranged around the second, core stage), a single RD-108A engine on the core stage, and an
RD-0124 engine on the third stage. Each stage uses liquid oxygen and kerosene (RP-1) as propellants. The 2,000th R-7 decal on the Soyuz 2.1b booster. (Credit: Roscosmos)

CAS Space Kinetica-1 | Unknown Payload

A Kinetica-1 rocket will launch an unknown payload from Site 130 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China. Launch is set for Friday, Dec. 27, at 01:03 UTC. The details for this launch are scarce, and no further information has been released.

SpaceX Falcon 9 | Starship Group 11-3

SpaceX will launch the Starlink Group 11-3 mission on Saturday, Dec. 28, at 5:35 PM PST (01:35 UTC on Dec. 29) from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This will likely be the final launch of 2024 from Vandenberg.

Falcon 9 | Astranis: From One to Many

This launch was postponed following a rare engine abort at ignition on the first launch attempt on Friday, Dec. 20. Falcon 9 will now launch the Astranis: From One to Many mission on Saturday, Dec. 28, at 12:00 AM EST (05:00 UTC).

The payload for this mission consists of four MicroGEO satellites built by Astranis Space Technologies Corp. in San Francisco, California. Designed to
be smaller than typical geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites, the MicroGEO satellites will provide broadband access and on-orbit services for various Astranis customers. One satellite will provide the Philippines with broadband access via Orbits Corp, two satellites will provide internet connectivity services to aircraft and cruise ships through Anuvu, and the final satellite, Utilitysat, will be used by Astranis for unknown purposes.



Falcon 9 will launch the four satellites to GEO after flying east out of the Cape. Following liftoff, the currently unknown booster will land on one of SpaceXs autonomous droneships, which will be stationed downrange in the Atlantic.

SpaceX Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 12-6

SpaceX will launch another batch of Group 12 Starlink v2-Mini satellites into low-Earth orbit on Sunday, Dec. 29, at 12:00 AM EST (05:00 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This late addition to the launch manifest will see Falcon 9 flying southeast, where an autonomous droneship will be stationed for the attempted booster landing.

SpaceX Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 12-3

The final launch of 2024 from SLC-40 in Florida will occur on Sunday, Dec.
29. Starlink Group 12-3 will consist of 23 more Starlink v2-Mini satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities. Falcon 9 will launch the satellites to a 43-degree inclination orbit on a southeastern trajectory.

This will be the 132nd Falcon 9 launch of 2024 and the 134th SpaceX mission
of 2024. With just two days remaining in the year after this mission, it appears that SpaceX will miss its 136 Falcon launch target. PSLV-C60/SPADEX Update:

The launch vehicle has been integrated and now moved to the First Launch Pad, for further integration of satellites and launch preparations.

Stay tuned for updates on #PSLV -C60 and watch this space for exciting info
on the upcoming PSLV-C60/SPADEX pic.twitter.com/HNUW1SnUdG

ISRO (@isro) December 21, 2024



ISRO PSLV-CA | SPADEX

On Monday, Dec. 30, at 16:28 UTC, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch two satellites as part of the Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) mission. Each satellite masses 220 kg and will demonstrate
autonomous docking technologies in orbit. SPADEX will launch atop a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket from First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Center in India.

Ananth Technologies Private Limited (ATL) completed the integration of the
two satellites for ISRO and handed them over to ISRO at the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru. The SPADEX satellites were then transported to
the Indian Spaceport at Sriharikota, where they underwent final testing and preparations for launch.

ISRO generally builds its satellites at the URSC, but this is the first time that ISRO is having its satellites completely assembled, integrated, and tested by the Indian private industry at a private facility. This shift is enabled by space sector reforms that grant more opportunities to Indias private aerospace sector.

In the Core Alone (CA) configuration being used for this mission, Indias PSLV rocket stands 44 meters tall. Four stages power the vehicle into orbit, with no strap-on stages being utilized. The first and third stages utilize solid rocket motors, with the second and fourth stages using liquid propellants.
The solid stages provide the power needed to launch PSLVs payloads, while the liquid stages adjust for any variance from the solid motors performance.



Once in orbit, the two satellites, Target and Chaser, will be deployed into a 470 km circular orbit at a 55-degree inclination. The PSLV fourth stage will provide the two spacecraft with slightly different velocities, resulting in Target being deployed ahead of Chaser. Chaser will then make up the difference, rendezvous with Target, and perform an autonomous docking. Following successful systems checks, Target and Chaser will separate to perform individual tasks for the remainder of their missions.

The PSLV fourth stage is also equipped with the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module 4 (POEM-4) spacecraft, which will carry several experiments.

SpaceX Falcon 9 | Thuraya 4-NGS

SpaceXs first launch and first customer launch of 2025 will see Falcon 9 launch the Thuraya 4-NGS mission. Launch is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 1, at 12:00 AM EST (05:00 UTC ) from SLC-40 in Florida.

The payload for this mission is an Airbus-built satellite for Al Yah
Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) of the United Arab Emirates.
Thuraya 4-NGS is a next-generation mobile telecommunications system that will deliver higher communications capabilities and flexibility while increasing capacity and coverage across Europe, Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Based on the all-electric Airbus Eurostar Neo Platform, Thuraya 4-NGS will incorporate a 12 m L-band antenna and a payload providing onboard processing. This will give the satellite advanced routing flexibility of up to 3,200 channels and dynamic power allocation over many spot beams.

(Lead image: Sunset liftoff of Falcon 9 from LC-39A in December 2024.
Credit: Max Evans for NSF)



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2024/12/launch-roundup-122324/


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