United Publishing Alliance
Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc across Florida this week, moving its epicenter over the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral on Thursday.
However, by then, Ian had weakened to a moderately strong tropical storm, with heavy rain falling north of the launch sites on the Atlantic coast. As a result, damage to NASA’s launch facilities at the Kennedy Space Center and the Space Force launch platform at Cape Canaveral were minimized.
Accordingly, by Friday, work was already underway to quickly launch three missiles in three days at facilities on the “Space Coast” in Florida.
SES-20 vs. SES-21
The first commercial mission is to launch the SES-20 and SES-21 satellites of the Luxembourg satellite operator SES on a United Launch Alliance V Atlas rocket. Stacked in its “531” configuration, this Atlas rocket counter features a five-toned payload chassis, three solid rocket boosters, and a motor in the center of the upper stage.
On Friday, the United Launch Alliance said it is continuing to move toward the launch of the mission on Tuesday, October 4, from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The release is scheduled for 5:36 PM EST (21:36 UTC). The weather is expected to be favorable, with 70 percent favorable conditions for the launch.
After launch, the Atlas V rocket will send a pair of communications satellites into a near-earth semicircular orbit. Once separated, the satellites will use their internal propulsion systems to orbit 35,900 km above the equator.
Crew 5
Next in Florida is NASA’s Crew-5 mission, which will blast off to the International Space Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. NASA officials have confirmed that the launch is scheduled for October 5 at noon EST (16:00 UTC) from Launch Complex-39A at Kennedy Space Center.
A four-member crew of NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Casada, JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos astronaut Anna Kekina stayed at Johnson Space Center in Houston for the effects of Hurricane Ian. However, they will now fly to Florida in preparation for launch on Saturday.
Meanwhile, SpaceX will spin a Falcon 9 rocket with its Crew Dragon spacecraft to the launch pad Friday or Saturday night ahead of Sunday’s standard fire test. There were no major technical issues before the launch next Wednesday.
Galaxy 33 and 34
Finally, on October 6, SpaceX is planning an additional launch. For this mission, the Falcon 9 rocket will launch an Intelsat Galaxy 33 and 34 communications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex-40 in Cape Canaveral. The release is set at 7:07 PM EST (23:07 UTC).
Important for this mission, the Falcon 9’s booster first stage will launch its 14th. This is the first time a SpaceX rocket has carried a full commercial payload on its tenth flight or since. This certainly indicates that the commercial satellite market is becoming more comfortable with SpaceX’s refurbishment of well-used rockets.
Artemis I
NASA said Friday that Artemis I instruments, which are safely hidden inside the large vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center, survived Hurricane Ian. The agency will prepare the missile for launch within six weeks.
“As teams complete post-storm recovery activities, NASA has decided to begin planning efforts focused on Artemis I during the launch period beginning November 12 and ending November 27.” NASA said in a blog post. “In the coming days, directors will assess the scope of work that needs to be done while he is at the VAB and set a specific date for the next release attempt.”
In the coming days, engineers and technicians will expand access sites around the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, conduct inspections, and begin preparing for the next launch attempt.
The rocket and spacecraft have been fully stacked for more than 11 months, so NASA wants to make sure the vehicles’ various batteries, stored propellants, and other “limited life items” are still working well. Return to the launch pad.