Falcon 9 launches SES-8 on third attempt
Posted: Wed, Dec 4, 2013, 7:00 AM ET (1200 GMT)
After two attempts last week were scrubbed by technical glitches, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched its first commercial geosynchronous orbit satellite on Tuesday evening. The Falcon 9 v1.1 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 5:41 pm EST (2241 GMT) carrying the SES-8 satellite. The Falcon 9's upper stage released the satellite into a supersynchronous transfer orbit, with an apogee of about 80,000 kilometers, 33 minutes after launch. The launch took place after SpaceX scrubbed two previous attempts, on Monday and Thursday of last week, because of technical issues with the launch vehicle. The launch was also the first SpaceX to carry a satellite to geosychronous transfer orbit; previous Falcon 9 launches carried Dragon spacecraft and other satellites to low Earth orbit. SES-8, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation for European satellite operator SES, weighed 3,138 kilograms at launch and carries 33 Ku-band transponders. SES will operate the spacecraft from 95 degrees east in GEO.
After two attempts last week were scrubbed by technical glitches, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched its first commercial geosynchronous orbit satellite on Tuesday evening. The Falcon 9 v1.1 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 5:41 pm EST (2241 GMT) carrying the SES-8 satellite. The Falcon 9's upper stage released the satellite into a supersynchronous transfer orbit, with an apogee of about 80,000 kilometers, 33 minutes after launch. The launch took place after SpaceX scrubbed two previous attempts, on Monday and Thursday of last week, because of technical issues with the launch vehicle. The launch was also the first SpaceX to carry a satellite to geosychronous transfer orbit; previous Falcon 9 launches carried Dragon spacecraft and other satellites to low Earth orbit. SES-8, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation for European satellite operator SES, weighed 3,138 kilograms at launch and carries 33 Ku-band transponders. SES will operate the spacecraft from 95 degrees east in GEO.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Apex becomes billion-dollar company with $200 million Series D round
Posted: Sun, Sep 14 4:09 AM ET (0809 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, September 16
Firefly Aerospace to Announce Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results on September 22, 2025
Firefly Aerospace — 6:45 am ET (1045 GMT) Starlink hits capacity in Nigeria’s largest cities, raising questions about Musk’s Africa ambitions
Business Insider — 6:43 am ET (1043 GMT) Colorado Springs looks to rebound after Trump pulls Space Command to Huntsville
Washington Examiner — 6:42 am ET (1042 GMT) Colorado’s Republican U.S. representatives decline to fight Trump on Space Command, even as they risk voter fallout
Colorado Sun — 6:42 am ET (1042 GMT) Sen. John Hoeven upon satellite launch: ‘We expect this mission to continue growing’
Grand Forks (ND) Herald — 6:41 am ET (1041 GMT) |
