For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FL – After weather and rocket checking delays a recycled SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is poised to launch a Spanish communications satellite for Space-based Hispasat Monday evening, Feb. 6, from Florida’s Space Coast on an easterly trajectory.
The massive 5 ton Amazonas Nexus satellite owned by Madrid based Hispasat will launch aboard a flight proven Falcon 9 to a geosynchronous transfer orbit and will connect all of the America’s – providing internet connectivity on land, at sea and in the air and to remote communities.
It will replace Amazonas 2 and orbit 22,300 mi (>36,000 km) above Earth when fully functioning in a circular geostationary orbit over the equator.
A small pathfinding payload from the U.S. Space Force was also integrated aboard the satellite
Liftoff of the veteran 229-foot-tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 on the Hispasat Amazonas Nexus mission is targeted for 5:32 p.m. ET Monday, February 6, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Enjoy our UpClose prelaunch photos of the SpaceX Falcon 9 integrated with the Hispasat Amazonas Nexus taken during our media remote camera setup on Sunday, Feb. 5.
The Amazon Nexus satellite will cover the entire American continent from North to South America, Greenland and the North and South Atlantic corridors and will be focused on connectivity services in remote areas and in air and maritime mobility environments, according to Hispasat.
The Spanish owned and operated satellite was built by France based Thales- Alenia Space
The window stretches for four hours total and will take place partway into the window to complete ‘vehicle verifications’ – after SpaceX finally publicly announced the launch delay late Monday afternoon.
The original launch attempt on Sunday at 5:32 p.m. was scrubbed in the face of very poor launch weather on land and booster recovery conditions at sea.
The Falcon 9 booster is designated with tail number booster B1073.6 and has so far successfully launched and landed 5 times. This will be the sixth
Overall this launch will marked the 202nd successful Falcon 9 launch the 143rd recycled booster and the 170th successful landing
Some 70% of the Falcon 9s have used recycled 1st stage boosters!
The first stage booster B1073.6 supporting this mission previously launched SES-22, ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission 1, and three Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the ‘Just Read the Instructions’ (JRTI) droneship, which is stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Bahamas.
“This satellite represents a new era for the services provided by HISPASAT, as it is equipped with a state-of-the-art Digital Transparent Processor (DTP) that will allow it to increase its geographic flexibility in the event of changes in the commercial scenarios initially proposed,” says Hispasat.
“HISPASAT has reached multiple business agreements to lease the long-term capacity Amazonas Nexus with operators and service providers in the governmental and connectivity fields for the aviation sector and in remote areas.”
The Amazonas Nexus satellite stands nearly 20 feet (about 6 meters) tall
The SpaceX Falcon 9 will place the 9,140 pounds (4,146 kg) Amazonas Nexus in its transfer orbit about thirty five minutes after liftoff.
Watch Ken’s commentary about Project Artemis, SpaceX Falcon Heavy, Crew-5 & 6, NASA SLS cryo and WDR tests, NASA SpaceX Crew & Cargo Dragons and more
Feb 9/10: WFTV ABC News Orlando interview about SpaceX Starship successful static fire test of 31 Raptor engines at Boca Chica
Feb 8/9: WFTV ABC News Orlando interview about how NASA needs a definitive and fully funded plan to deorbit the ISS safely in case of an emergency and serious debris hit causing it to lose control b4 it’s terminated in 2030- in light of the recent Soyuz crew capsule leak from micrometeoroid impact
Jan 3/4: WFTV ABC News Orlando interview about Jan 3 SpaceX Transporter 6 launch – 1st of 2023 – and record setting year ahead with many exciting missions for NASA and private astronauts, science probes, mission, US Space Force, new rockets like ULA Vulcan & more!
Dec 28/29: Fox 35 Orlando – Watch my commentary about NASA’s fantastic success in space exploration in 2022 and ambitious schedule of whats ahead in 2023:
https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/1159922
Dec 11/12: BBC World News TV interview about successful splashdown of NASA Orion concluding the 25 day Artemis 1 lunar test flight around the Moon and back, and how that sets up a human return to the Moon on Artemis 2 and landing on Artemis 3. Plus what’s beyond for NASA deep space exploration to Mars and the search for life beyond Earth
Watch Ken’s continuing reports about Artemis, SpaceX missions, SLS, Orion and NASA missions, SpaceX Crew and Cargo Dragons, SpaceX Axiom, JWST, DART, Lucy Asteroid mission, GOES, SpaceX Starlink, Commercial Crew and Starliner and Crew Dragon, Blue Origin and Space Tourism, and onsite for live reporting of upcoming and recent SpaceX and ULA launches including Crew 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5, ISS, Solar Orbiter, Mars 2020 Perseverance and Curiosity rovers, NRO spysats and national security missions and more at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
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Upcoming and recent space events and talks by Ken Kremer & Jean Wright
Jan 21-28: Carnival Cruise Ship Mardi Gras: “What Happening at NASA and Space Exploration” & SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 5-2 launch viewing party Jan 26
Jan 12, 2023: 10 AM at Westminster Retirement Center in Orlando/Winter Park, Florida: Presentation by Jean Wright – “Sew Sister to the Stars- How the Humble Art of Sewing Transformed the World of Flight”+ Artemis 1 Moon rocket update
Nov 29 at UCF, Orlando Florida: Presentation by Jean Wright – “Sew Sister to the Stars- How the Humble Art of Sewing Transformed the World of Flight”
Feb 4, 11, Jan 7,11- 2023; from 7 to 9 PM Quality Inn, Titusville, FL: Join Ken and Jean for Artemis 1, Falcon Heavy and space mission and rocket launch outreach. Ask us anything. plus display our photos and space apparel items for sale
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