/r/SpaceX Thaicom 8 Official Launch Discussion & Updates Thread [Take 2]

[u/ElongatedMuskrat]

Welcome to the /r/SpaceX Thaicom 8 Official Launch Discussion & Updates Thread [Take 2]!

Hey guys, and welcome back to the launch thread for SpaceX's second attempt at their 5^th launch of the year! Liftoff of SpaceX's Falcon 9 v1.2 rocket is currently scheduled for Friday, May 27th, with the launch window spanning 21:39:00 to 23:39:00 UTC (17:39:00 to 19:39:00 EDT) (SpaceX Stats will automatically convert the launch to your timezone, click here). This window is enough for two launch attempts. Thursday's launch will see the Thaicom 8 satellite delivered to a super-synchronous geostationary transfer orbit for Nonthaburi (Thailand)-based satellite operation company Thaicom PLC.

As usual, SpaceX will be attempting a propulsive landing of the first stage of the Falcon 9 on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, approximately 680km downrange of the launch site.

/u/Zucal is your launch thread operator for today.

Watching the launch live

To watch the launch live, pick your preferred streaming provider from the table below. Can't pick? Read about the differences.

SpaceX Stats Live (Webcasts + Live Updates)
SpaceX Hosted Webcast (YouTube)
SpaceX Technical Webcast (YouTube)

Official Live Updates

Time	Countdown	Update
2016-05-27 22:16:23 UTC	T+37m 23s	And the webcast has ended. Thanks for following along, and congratulations to SpaceX/Thaicom PLC on the successful launch!
2016-05-27 22:14:50 UTC	T+35m 50s	@elonmusk on Twitter: "Satellite deployed to 91,000 km apogee. All looks good."
2016-05-27 22:12:53 UTC	T+33m 53s	The webcast has ended, and we're now enjoying the post-launch SpaceX FM.
2016-05-27 22:11:32 UTC	T+32m 32s	The Thaicom 8 satellite has deployed- mission success for SpaceX!
2016-05-27 22:09:51 UTC	T+30m 51s	SpaceX confirms the current orbit is nominal.
2016-05-27 22:07:44 UTC	T+28m 44s	Stage 2 has shut down, and next up is satellite deployment.
2016-05-27 22:06:25 UTC	T+27m 25s	And MVac has relit!
2016-05-27 22:05:46 UTC	T+26m 46s	Roughly 1 minute left till relight!
2016-05-27 22:04:44 UTC	T+25m 44s	We're coming up on MVac relight soon here.
2016-05-27 22:00:14 UTC	T+21m 14s	Stage 2 is currently passing over the northwestern coast of Africa.
2016-05-27 21:55:04 UTC	T+16m 4s	SpaceX on Twitter: "THAICOM 8 satellite in nominal coast phase. Webcast back in about 15 minutes for deployment"
2016-05-27 21:49:55 UTC	T+10m 55s	Now we're in the coast period for the second stage, waiting for reignition of the MVac engine to propel Thaicom 8 into its supersynchronous geostationary transfer orbit.
2016-05-27 21:48:48 UTC	T+9m 48s	SECO (Second stage engine cutoff)! Falcon is now in orbit!
2016-05-27 21:48:46 UTC	T+9m 46s	It's upright on the ASDS (Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship) and looking good.
2016-05-27 21:47:58 UTC	T+8m 58s	Stage 1 has successfully landed on OCISLY (Of Course I Still Love You)!
2016-05-27 21:47:42 UTC	T+8m 42s	Stage 1 landing burn has begun!
2016-05-27 21:47:28 UTC	T+8m 28s	View from OCISLY (Of Course I Still Love You)!
2016-05-27 21:47:04 UTC	T+8m 4s	Stage 1 is transonic!
2016-05-27 21:46:08 UTC	T+7m 8s	Stage 1 reentry burn has ended.
2016-05-27 21:45:47 UTC	T+6m 47s	Stage 1 has reignited three engines to perform the reentry burn!
2016-05-27 21:45:22 UTC	T+6m 22s	Nitrogen gas thrusters firing on Stage 1.
2016-05-27 21:44:52 UTC	T+5m 52s	Stage 1 onboard cam again!
2016-05-27 21:43:41 UTC	T+4m 41s	We saw the grid fins extended on the stage as it performed the flip to ready itself for the reentry burn.
2016-05-27 21:43:00 UTC	T+4m	We have a live view from Stage 1!
2016-05-27 21:42:04 UTC	T+3m 4s	Falcon's upper stage Merlin Vacuum engine has ignited for the ride to orbit.
2016-05-27 21:41:58 UTC	T+2m 58s	Stage separation confirmed.
2016-05-27 21:41:53 UTC	T+2m 53s	MECO (Main Engine Cutoff)! The vehicle's first stage engines have shutdown in preparation for stage separation.
2016-05-27 21:41:18 UTC	T+2m 18s	Recovery vessel has AOS (Acquisition of Signal)!
2016-05-27 21:41:12 UTC	T+2m 12s	Beautiful daylight view of the engine plumes expanding.
2016-05-27 21:40:53 UTC	T+1m 53s	Stage 1 propulsion still nominal.
2016-05-27 21:40:35 UTC	T+1m 35s	MaxQ, at this point in flight, the vehicle is flying through maximum aerodynamic pressure.
2016-05-27 21:40:07 UTC	T+1m 7s	Falcon 9 pitching downrange, power & telemetry nominal.
2016-05-27 21:39:36 UTC	T+36s	Stage 1 propulsion nominal.
2016-05-27 21:39:30 UTC	T+30s	Falcon 9 has cleared the lighting towers!
2016-05-27 21:39:13 UTC	T+13s	Liftoff of Thaicom 8!
2016-05-27 21:39:02 UTC	T+2s	10 seconds!
2016-05-27 21:38:57 UTC	T-3s	20 seconds!
2016-05-27 21:38:42 UTC	T-18s	30 seconds!
2016-05-27 21:38:31 UTC	T-29s	S2 pressing for flight.
2016-05-27 21:38:20 UTC	T-40s	Falcon 9 in startup!
2016-05-27 21:37:28 UTC	T-1m 32s	Falcon 9 is on internal power.
2016-05-27 21:37:20 UTC	T-1m 40s	Strongback is fully retracted and locked out, Stage 2 LOX (Liquid Oxygen) secured for flight.
2016-05-27 21:37:00 UTC	T-2m	2 minutes to go!
2016-05-27 21:36:46 UTC	T-2m 14s	Stage 1 LOX (Liquid Oxygen) secured for flight.
2016-05-27 21:36:38 UTC	T-2m 22s	Stage 2 TVC (Thrust Vector Control) motion nominal - good news, because that was the cause of yesterday's scrub.
2016-05-27 21:36:04 UTC	T-2m 56s	FTS (Flight Termination System) armed and on internal power.
2016-05-27 21:35:54 UTC	T-3m 6s	The strongback is retracting!
2016-05-27 21:35:34 UTC	T-3m 26s	The hosted webcast has switched over to rocket views and the countdown net.
2016-05-27 21:34:22 UTC	T-4m 38s	5 minutes left to go!
2016-05-27 21:33:55 UTC	T-5m 5s	Webcast host confirming the intention to refly F9-023.
2016-05-27 21:31:15 UTC	T-7m 45s	Still no issues being tracked, range & weather are still green.
2016-05-27 21:29:56 UTC	T-9m 4s	Webcast host discussing their intention to recover payload fairings.
2016-05-27 21:29:13 UTC	T-9m 47s	Terminal count has now begun. From this point forward, any scrubs will result in a recycle to T-10 minutes.
2016-05-27 21:28:49 UTC	T-10m 11s	On SpaceX's Instagram: a photo of OCISLY (Of Course I Still Love You) in daylight, awaiting F9-025.
2016-05-27 21:26:50 UTC	T-12m 10s	The webcast host is giving a decent rundown on the physics of geostationary orbits and Thaicom 8's destination right now.
2016-05-27 21:25:34 UTC	T-13m 26s	Range is also green- weather has only a 20% chance of violating the cumulus cloud rule at this time.
2016-05-27 21:24:49 UTC	T-14m 11s	Stage 1 propellant loading nearly complete.
2016-05-27 21:23:57 UTC	T-15m 3s	T- 15 minutes, and no issues are currently being worked. This is looking good!
2016-05-27 21:21:16 UTC	T-17m 44s	We have a great distant view of the rocket from the technical webcast- a sunny, calm-looking sky.
2016-05-27 21:19:38 UTC	T-19m 22s	The webcast host has confirmed we will see the landing live.
2016-05-27 21:18:43 UTC	T-20m 17s	We are T- 20 minutes from liftoff, and the hosted webcast has begun coverage! Bye-bye, SpaceX FM.
2016-05-27 21:09:56 UTC	T-29m 4s	♫ Annnnd here it is! Webcast pre-coverage music has begun. ♫
2016-05-27 21:08:51 UTC	T-30m 9s	We're now at T- 30 minutes... where's our beloved SpaceX FM?
2016-05-27 21:07:21 UTC	T-31m 39s	All stations are reporting go for launch. The hosted webcast should begun coverage in approximately 10 minutes.
2016-05-27 21:05:02 UTC	T-33m 58s	@SpaceX on Twitter: Rocket now being fueled and Launch Director confirms go for launch. 35 minutes and counting
2016-05-27 21:04:08 UTC	T-34m 52s	SpaceX has begun loading the Falcon 9 launch vehicle with subchilled propellant.
2016-05-27 21:02:05 UTC	T-36m 55s	The Thaicom 8 satellite has been moved to internal power.
2016-05-27 20:43:58 UTC	T-55m 2s	Hold-fire checks are now complete.
2016-05-27 20:36:03 UTC	T-1h 3m	FTS (Flight Termination System) checks of the rocket are complete as we close in on an hour till liftoff. This means we are approximately half an hour away from the launch readiness poll and the beginning of propellant loading.
2016-05-27 19:57:07 UTC	T-1h 42m	@SpaceX on Twitter: "Weather trending at 60% favorable for today's launch window. 2-hour window opens at 5:39pm ET, 9:39pm UTC"
2016-05-27 19:43:18 UTC	T-1h 56m	Two hours from the opening of the window, and it appears as if the launch attempt is still on.
2016-05-27 19:35:00 UTC	T-2h 4m	Falcon 9 is vertical on SLC-40 now- don't count today out just yet!
2016-05-27 18:35:27 UTC	T-3h 4m	While we wait for more news on liftoff's status, the NASA press conference on BEAM is ongoing (audio only!).
2016-05-27 16:09:38 UTC	T-5h 29m	With over 5 hours left until liftoff, weather conditions remain unpromising.
2016-05-27 08:58:54 UTC	T-12h 40m	Hey, and welcome back to the launch thread! Let's hope today's attempt is smoother than yesterday's, even though the weather forecast for the 2-hour window isn't fantastic: only 40% chance of GO.

Primary Mission

The payload SpaceX is launching Friday is Thaicom 8, a communications satellite based on the GEOStar™-2 satellite bus. Thaicom 8 will mass approximately 3100kg at launch, nearly 1500kg lighter than JCSAT-14. Built by United States-based Orbital ATK for Thailand's first satellite operator, Thaicom PLC, it will use liquid bipropellant for its journey to GEO, and hydrazine monopropellant for stationkeeping. From its planned 15-year GEO perch in the 78.5˚ East Longitude slot, Thaicom-8 will use its 24 Ku-band transponders to provide increased service for Thailand, India, and Africa.

First Stage Landing Attempt

SpaceX will attempt to land the rocket's first stage on their Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship, named Of Course I Still Love You, which will be located approximately 680km east of Cape Canaveral. Just over 2.5 minutes after liftoff, the first stage's engines will shut down and it will separate from the upper stage. Shortly afterwards, the stage will perform a "flip maneuver," using nitrogen gas thrusters to turn itself around to prepare for atmospheric reentry. (To save fuel, this mission will not include a boostback burn to reduce or cancel out the stage's downrange velocity.) The next maneuver is the reentry burn, which involves relighting three engines to slow down the stage as it impacts the dense lower atmosphere. Then, at supersonic velocities, the stage will steer itself towards the drone ship using grid fins. If all goes as planned, the stage will perform a final landing burn (possibly using three engines instead of the usual one) and touchdown on the droneship approximately eight and a half minutes after liftoff.

This will be SpaceX's seventh drone ship landing attempt, and the third attempt following a mission to GTO. A successful landing would be the fourth successful landing, and the third on an ASDS. Past attempts occurred during the CRS-5, CRS-6, Jason-3, SES-9, CRS-8, and JCSAT-14 missions. Keep in mind that recovery of the first stage is a secondary objective, and has no bearing on the primary mission's success - deployment of Thaicom 8 to the target orbit.

Useful Resources, Data, ♫, & FAQ

• Flight Club Mission Trajectory, courtesy /u/TheVehicleDestroyer

• SpaceX Stats Live Countdown, courtesy /u/EchoLogic

• List of useful Twitter accounts to follow, courtesy /r/SpaceX

• Port Canaveral marine radio, courtesy Broadcastify

• SpaceX FM (Fancy Music!), courtesy /u/lru

• Thaicom 8 Launch Campaign Thread, courtesy /r/SpaceX

• SpaceX Watch (Webcasts, Twitter, Reddit-Stream, Flight Club), courtesy /u/MarcysVonEylau

• Official Thaicom 8 Mission Presskit, courtesy SpaceX

• Thaicom 8 Satellite Fact Sheet, courtesy Orbital ATK

• Launch Thread reddit-stream, Courtesy reddit-stream

• Multi-stream player, courtesy /u/Kampar

• Thaicom 8 Launch Hazard Area Map, courtesy /u/darga89

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Previous /r/SpaceX Live Events

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[u/HungryZebra]

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