AsiaSat 6 (Thaicom 7) - Falcon 9 v1.1 - Canaveral SLC-40 - 07.09.2014 05:00 UTC

[Salo]

0504 GMT (1:04 a.m. EDT)
T+plus 4 minutes, 45 seconds. The downrange tracking stage in Bermuda has acquired communications signals from the Falcon 9 rocket.

0503 GMT (1:03 a.m. EDT)
T+plus 3 minutes, 50 seconds. The SpaceX-built 5.2-meter diameter payload fairing has separated.

0503 GMT (1:03 a.m. EDT)
T+plus 3 minutes. The Falcon 9 first stage engines have cut off, the stages have separated, and the rocket's second stage Merlin vacuum engine has ignited for its approximately 5-minute, 33-second firing to reach orbital velocity.

0502 GMT (1:02 a.m. EDT)
T+plus 2 minutes. Now soaring at an altitude of more than 20 miles, the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage will shut down and jettison in about one minute. Two engines will be turned off first, followed a few moments later by the remaining seven engines.

And chilldown of the second stage's vacuum-rated Merlin 1D engine should be starting in preparation for its ignition.

0501 GMT (1:01 a.m. EDT)
T+plus 1 minute. The Falcon 9 rocket is approaching the speed of sound and the phase of maximum aerodynamic pressure.

0500 GMT (1:00 a.m. EDT)
T+plus 30 seconds. The Falcon 9 rocket's pitch program has initiated to put the 224-foot-tall rocket on an easterly trajectory from Cape Canaveral.

0500 GMT (1:00 a.m. EDT)
LIFTOFF of the Falcon 9 rocket with AsiaSat 6, launching a satellite to beam television and data services to growing markets in China and Southeast Asia.

0458 GMT (12:58 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 90 seconds and counting. The SpaceX launch director and the Air Force Eastern Range have given their final approvals for liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket at 1 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT).

0458 GMT (12:58 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 2 minutes and counting. The rocket's Merlin 1D engines have been chilled down for ignition.

0457 GMT (12:57 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 2 minutes, 30 seconds. The strongback has been locked in to launch position.

0457 GMT (12:57 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 3 minutes and counting. The rocket's destruct system is on internal power and being armed, and liquid oxygen topping is being terminated.

The strongback has retracted into the launch position more than 20 degrees from the rocket.

The second stage thrust vector steering system has checked out and is ready for flight.

0455 GMT (12:55 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 5 minutes and counting. The cradles connecting the strongback to the Falcon 9 rocket have opened.

[Salo]

0508 GMT (1:08 a.m. EDT)
 T+plus 8 minutes. About 40 seconds until the second stage Merlin engine is supposed to shut down as the vehicle reaches orbit. The rocket is aiming for an initial parking orbit with AsiaSat 6, and it will re-ignite later to boost the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit reaching 35,786 kilometers (22,236 miles) above Earth.
 
0507 GMT (1:07 a.m. EDT)
 T+plus 7 minutes, 30 seconds. The kerosene-fueled Merlin 1D upper stage engine generates about 161,000 pounds of thrust in vacuum.
 
0506 GMT (1:06 a.m. EDT)
 T+plus 6 minutes, 30 seconds. Everything reported to be going well with this second stage engine firing. The Merlin vacuum engine uses an ultra-thin niobium nozzle extension for greater efficiency in the upper atmosphere.
Altitude is 172 km, velocity is 4.5 km/second and downrange distance is 815 km.
 
0505 GMT (1:05 a.m. EDT)
 T+plus 5 minutes, 30 seconds. Downrange distance is 575 km as the upper stage Merlin 1D engine continues its burn.

[Salo]

0509 GMT (1:09 a.m. EDT)
Second stage shutdown! Falcon 9 has achieved a preliminary parking orbit with a high point of 202 kilometers and a low point of 175 kilometers, with an orbital inclination of 27.7 degrees to the equator. SpaceX officials say that is close to prelaunch predictions.

[Salo]

Опорная орбита.

[Salo]

0512 GMT (1:12 a.m. EDT)
The webcast has concluded now that the Falcon 9 is in a parking orbit. Re-ignition of the upper stage should occur at about 1:26 a.m. EDT (0526 GMT) for a burn of just over one minute.

Separation of the AsiaSat 8 satellite will come at 1:32 a.m. EDT (0532 GMT).

We expect an update from SpaceX soon after those milestones are achieved.

[Salo]

Конец трансляции.
Отделение КА ожидается в 09:32 ЛМВ.

[Salo]

0527 GMT (1:27 a.m. EDT)
 At this point in the flight, the second stage should have re-ignited its engine for a brief burn lasting just over a minute. The stage would have then re-oriented for deployment of the AsiaSat 6 satellite about now.
SpaceX officials have made no announcement yet.

[Space Alien]

Spaceflight101 LIVE ‏@S101_Live
Successful completion of the crucial second burn has been confirmed by #SpaceX. The vehicle is now in its planned elliptical GTO. #AsiaSat6

Spaceflight Now ‏@SpaceflightNow
A SpaceX spokesperson confirms the #AsiaSat6 spacecraft has been deployed in orbit.

[igorvs]

Spaceflight Now ‏@SpaceflightNow  45 с  
A SpaceX spokesperson confirms the #AsiaSat6 spacecraft has been deployed in orbit.

[Space Alien]

Mission Update
Spacecraft separation is confirmed!

[Space Alien]

[Salo]

Chris Bergin пишет:
S/C Sep confirmed!

[Salo]

[Space Alien]

[Salo]

[Salo]

0533 GMT (1:33 a.m. EDT)
AsiaSat 6 separation! The AsiaSat 6 spacecraft has deployed from the Falcon 9 upper stage to begin a 15-year service life broadcasting television, broadband data and other services across China and Southeast Asia.

[che wi]

Поздравления Маску и всем причастным.

[Vlad_hm]

Да, задержки задержками, а успешный пуск - это всегда успешный пуск.
Молодцы.

[Space Alien]

Официальный пресс-релиз от AsiaSat:

AsiaSat 6 Successfully Lifts Off

AsiaSat 6, the newest communications satellite of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), successfully lifted off on 7 September at Hong Kong Time 1:00 p.m. (1:00 a.m. EDT or Cape Canaveral local time). This is the second SpaceX Falcon 9 launch this summer for AsiaSat, after AsiaSat 8 on 5 August.
 
Approximately 32 minutes after liftoff, the AsiaSat 6 spacecraft successfully separated fr om the launch vehicle. AsiaSat acquired the first signals from the satellite in Hong Kong 55
minutes after launch. Over the next few days, AsiaSat 6 will move to its operational position, some 36,000 km above the equator wh ere it will undergo in-orbit testing before being brought into commercial use.
 
"This year marks a major milestone for AsiaSat. The addition of AsiaSat 6 to AsiaSat's expanding fleet of five in-orbit satellites including the new AsiaSat 8 significantly enhances our capability to offer a wider range of transponder capacity to our clients," said William Wade, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.
 
"We thank the SpaceX, Space Systems/Loral and the AsiaSat team for their dedication and professionalism in achieving this successful launch. We look forward to offering more quality satellite services on AsiaSat 6 to serve the fast growing demand in the Asia-Pacific region."
 
AsiaSat 6, based on Space Systems/Loral 1300 platform, is designed to provide excellent power and region-wide connectivity at its nominal orbital location of 120 degrees East. With
28 high-powered C-band transponders and a design life of 15 years, AsiaSat 6 offers two beams, one global beam and one regional beam for a broad range of video distribution and broadband network services in the Asia-Pacific region.

http://www.asiasat.com/asiasat/EN/upload/doc/pressrelease/news_e20140907.pdf

[Space Alien]

https://twitter.com/MatthewBTravis/status/508520655336529920