SpaceX is preparing to launch a satellite into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) on behalf of one of its oldest customers: Luxembourg-based SES. The prolific launch company aims to recover from an unusually quiet period in its launch pace, highlighted by a last-second interruption when the engines of another of its Falcon 9 rockets began to ignite.
Mission liftoff is set for 5:35 PM EDT (2135 UTC). The mission will be the 45th orbital flight from the Florida Space Coast in 2024.
Spaceflight Now will have a live broadcast about an hour before liftoff.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, queue number B1080 in the SpaceX fleet, will be launched for the ninth time. It previously supported the launch of two private astronaut missions for Axiom Space (Ax-2 and Ax-3), the European Space Agency’s Euclid Observatory, and four Starlink missions.
About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1080 will land on the SpaceX unmanned craft, “Just read the instructions.” If successful, it would make it the 84th booster landing for JRTI and the 250th drone landing for SpaceX to date.
Time will again play a role in whether this mission can move forward as planned. A forecast released Monday by the 45th Weather Squadron showed a 55 percent chance of fair weather, but noted that takeoff winds, cumulus clouds and the possibility of lightning were potential threats. Meteorologists also track upper-level wind shear between low and moderate impact levels.
A 24-hour backup scenario on Wednesday would be worse weather-wise. Favorable weather chance drops to 45 percent and booster cooldown is also degraded.
SpaceX is making its way through a rare period without a Falcon 9 launch. Its last launch will be 10 days ago if it succeeds in launching the Astra 1P satellite on June 18.
The last time there was a gap of so many days was between the launches of Starlink 7-8 on December 8, 2023 and Starlink 6-34 on December 19, 2023. Since the last mission, SpaceX has launched 64 orbital missions, one of which was a rocket Falcon Heavy.
Kiko Donchev, VP of Launch at SpaceX, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) about the ignition wipe during Friday’s Starlink 10-2 launch attempt. Without elaborating, he said what prevented the launch was a “real problem” that would require SpaceX to “examine the hardware of this vehicle in detail.”
“This will be the first week we don’t have a Falcon Launch in a long time. Unplanned interruptions happen due to weather conditions or unexpected problems, it is important how we will react,” writes Donchev. “The launch business takes grit, and when things go wrong, our true form comes alive. Give it!!!”
Welcome back, SES
Aboard what will now be SpaceX’s 61st Falcon 9 launch of 2024 is the Astra 1P satellite, also called SES-24. The Luxembourg-based telecommunications company is a long-time customer of SpaceX’s launch services.
In fact, the first payload that the Falcon 9 launched to a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) was SES-8 on December 3, 2013 on the seventh rocket.
The upcoming Astra 1P satellite continues the legacy of television satellites in the Astra 19.2°E group, which goes back to Astra 1A launched in 1988. There are currently four satellites in use in this orbital position: Astra 1KR, Astra 1L, Astra 1M and Astra 1N.
The Astra 1KR and Astra 1L are manufactured by Lockheed Martin, while the Astra 1M and Astra 1N are built by Astrium (now Airbus Defene and Space). In 2021, SES entered into a contract with Thales Alenia Space for the production of Astra 1P and Astra 1Q.
Both Astra 1P and Astra 1Q will have direct-to-home (DTH) functionality, but the latter will also be “customized in orbit and can be easily deployed to other orbital positions.”
“Our prime TV district at 19.2°E is one of our most valuable assets and has been key to enabling major European broadcasters to grow their TV audiences over the last 30 years. These two satellites will have the resilience, reliability and redundancy that our video customers need and will be able to provide uninterrupted premium services through 2040,” said Steve Kolar, CEO of SES, in a statement in 2021. “ Furthermore, thanks to advanced satellite technology, we will future-proof our investments and inject a high degree of flexibility into ASTRA 1Q to ensure we meet the changing needs of all the markets we serve.”
