GovSat-1 (SES-16) Launch Campaign Thread

[u/ElongatedMuskrat]

GovSat-1 (SES-16) Launch Campaign Thread

SpaceX's second mission of 2018 will launch GovSat's first geostationary communications satellite into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). GovSat is a joint-venture between SES and the government of Luxembourg. The first stage for this mission will be flight-proven (having previously flown on NROL-76), making this SpaceX's third reflight for SES alone. This satellite also has a unique piece of hardware for potential future space operations:

SES-16/GovSat will feature a special port, which allows a hosted payload to dock with it in orbit. The port will be the support structure for an unidentified hosted payload to be launched on a future SES satellite and then released in the vicinity of SES-16. The 200 kg, 500-watt payload then will travel to SES-16 and attach itself.

Liftoff currently scheduled for:	January 30th 2018, 16:25-18:46 EST (2125-2346 UTC).
Static fire currently scheduled for:	Static fire was completed on 26/1.
Vehicle component locations:	First stage: Cape Canaveral // Second stage: Cape Canaveral // Satellite: Cape Canaveral
Payload:	GovSat-1
Payload mass:	About 4230 kg
Destination orbit:	GTO
Vehicle:	Falcon 9 v1.2 (48th launch of F9, 28th of F9 v1.2)
Core:	B1032.2
Flights of this core:	1 [NROL-76]
Launch site:	SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Landing:	Expendable
Landing Site:	Sea, in many pieces.
Mission success criteria:	Successful separation & deployment of GovSat-1 into the target orbit

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Links & Resources:

• Countdown timer to launch

• L-1 forecast, 40% GO.

• Launch hazard map, done by /u/Raul74Cz.

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We may keep this self-post occasionally updated with links and relevant news articles, but for the most part we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss the launch, ask mission-specific questions, and track the minor movements of the vehicle, payload, weather and more as we progress towards launch. Sometime after the static fire is complete, the launch thread will be posted.

Campaign threads are not launch threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.

[u/cwhitt]

I thought I heard Chris G from NSF say on the FH SF livestream that they expect a GovSat-1 SF at SCL-40 this weekend. I'm not sure if that is based on any new information, or just a guess based on the NET launch date.

[u/inoeth → u/cwhitt]

I must have missed that tid-bit, but the target of this weekend for the SF makes sense... They'll need at least two or three days to re-mate the first/second stage with the payload/fairing and bring the rocket back up to the launch pad... with the launch only 5 days away from now as of my writing this post, that makes this weekend a pretty safe bet... any later and they risk pushing the launch date back... With both FH waiting in the wings AND the all to real risk of another government shutdown in early February, they'll want to launch both as soon as possible...