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Six ton SES-12
telecommunications satellite roars off Space Launch Complex-40 on a tail of fire, fury and smoke on SpaceX Falcon 9 just after at midnight Monday June 4, 2018 at 12:45 a.m. EDT on its way to orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Ken Kremer — SpaceUpClose.com — 5 June 2018
CAPE CANAVERAL
AIR FORCE STATION, FL – Space and rocket enthusiasts who stayed up late to the
start the week were treated handsomely with the stunning middle-of-the-night blast
off of the humongous SES-12 telecommunications satellite on a SpaceX hybrid Falcon
9 from Florida’s Spaceport.
AIR FORCE STATION, FL – Space and rocket enthusiasts who stayed up late to the
start the week were treated handsomely with the stunning middle-of-the-night blast
off of the humongous SES-12 telecommunications satellite on a SpaceX hybrid Falcon
9 from Florida’s Spaceport.
The
‘Flight-Proven’ Falcon 9 was a unique hybrid combination of a used Block 4 first
stage and a new Block 5 upper stage.
‘Flight-Proven’ Falcon 9 was a unique hybrid combination of a used Block 4 first
stage and a new Block 5 upper stage.
The 229-foot tall
(70-meter) roared off seaside Space Launch Complex-40 just past midnight Monday morning June 4 at 12:45 a.m. EDT (0429 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Florida.
(70-meter) roared off seaside Space Launch Complex-40 just past midnight Monday morning June 4 at 12:45 a.m. EDT (0429 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Florida.
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SES-12 telecom satellite
steaks to geostationary transfer orbit on SpaceX Falcon 9 at midnight Monday June 4, 2018 at 12:45 a.m. EDT in this long exposure photo from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Check out our
expanding SpaceUpClose.com eyewitness photo gallery.
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SES-12
telecommunications satellite roars off Space Launch Complex-40 postmidnight Monday June 4, 2018 at 12:45 a.m. EDT on SpaceX Falcon 9 on its way to geostationary orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
The flight was
flawless from first stage ignition to spacecraft deployment.
flawless from first stage ignition to spacecraft deployment.
The upper stage
fired as planned and spacecraft separation took place right on time about 32
minutes after liftoff.
fired as planned and spacecraft separation took place right on time about 32
minutes after liftoff.
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SES-12 blasts off
on June 4, 2018 on SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral pad 40. Credit: Julian Leek |
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SES-12 blasts off
on June 4, 2018 on SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral pad 40. Credit: Julian Leek |
SES-12 will serve
over 18 million customers across the globe all the way from the Middle East to
the vast Asia-Pacific region for Luxembourg-based operator SES.
over 18 million customers across the globe all the way from the Middle East to
the vast Asia-Pacific region for Luxembourg-based operator SES.
The six ton SES-12
behemoth will provide a vast array of
services including HDTV and UHDTV, wifi, banking, cruise ships and public services for the Asia-Pacific
region.
behemoth will provide a vast array of
services including HDTV and UHDTV, wifi, banking, cruise ships and public services for the Asia-Pacific
region.
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SES-12 telecom satellite
steaks to geostationary transfer orbit on SpaceX Falcon 9 at midnight Monday June 4, 2018 at 12:45 a.m. EDT in this long exposure photo from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
SES-12 weighs
5383 kg and measures 3.5 m x 3.5 m x 8 m.
5383 kg and measures 3.5 m x 3.5 m x 8 m.
The nine Merlin-9
engines ignited to generate over 1.7 million pounds of liftoff thrust fueled by
super chilled liquid oxygen and RP-1 propellants stored inside the used first
stage booster.
engines ignited to generate over 1.7 million pounds of liftoff thrust fueled by
super chilled liquid oxygen and RP-1 propellants stored inside the used first
stage booster.
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Down range view
of all nine Merlin 1D first stage engines firing after SpaceX Falcon 9 overnight launch at 12:45 a.m. EDT Jun 4, 2018 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, carrying SES-12 telecomsat to orbit. . Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
The rockets
ascent was visible for more than four minutes until it disappeared behind the
cloud bank that luckily held off until after launch.
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Down range view
of all nine Merlin 1D first stage engines firing after SpaceX Falcon 9 overnight launch at 12:45 a.m. EDT Jun 4, 2018 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, carrying SES-12 telecomsat to orbit. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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Down range view
of all nine Merlin 1D first stage engines firing after SpaceX Falcon 9 overnight launch at 12:45 a.m. EDT Jun 4, 2018 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, carrying SES-12 telecomsat to orbit. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
The SES-12
mission marked SpaceX’s 11th launch of 2018.
mission marked SpaceX’s 11th launch of 2018.
The next SpaceX
launch involves the Dragon CRS-15 cargo resupply mission to the International
Space Station (ISS) – tentatively set for liftoff on no earlier than June 28
from Space launch Complex-40 at the Cape.
launch involves the Dragon CRS-15 cargo resupply mission to the International
Space Station (ISS) – tentatively set for liftoff on no earlier than June 28
from Space launch Complex-40 at the Cape.
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA,
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and more space and mission reports direct
from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and
Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human
spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com
–www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
