FORMOSAT 5, SHERPA SSO - Falcon 9 - Ванденберг SLC-4E - 24.08.2017

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 4 мин. назад

Range controllers reported to console at T-4 hours to set up the Western Range to track the #Falcon9 & monitor the launch corridor.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

Two hours to the opening of today's 42-minute launch window, #Falcon9 should be undergoing a final round of RF link checks.

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SpaceX‏Подлинная учетная запись @SpaceX 5 мин. назад

Falcon 9 and FORMOSAT-5 are vertical on SLC-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Despite the fog, weather is 90% favorable.

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08/24/2017 20:06
T-minus 1 hour, 45 minutes. Launch preparations are on track for liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket at 11:51 a.m. PDT (2:51 p.m. EDT; 1851 GMT), a minute later than originally advertised.
It is a foggy morning at Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg, but that is not expected to be an issue for launch. There remains a 90 percent chance of favorable conditions at launch time.

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08/24/2017 20:10
The launch countdown will begin in earnest in the next half-hour, with a poll of the SpaceX launch team at 10:43 a.m. PDT (1:43 p.m. EDT; 1743 GMT) to begin loading RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants into the two-stage rocket.

At this point, safety and security officials should be verifying the danger area around Space Launch Complex 4-East is clear.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 3 мин. назад

L-1 Hour 35 Minutes: A repeat of RF Link Checks and Autonomous Flight Safety System testing should be wrapping up at this point.

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08/24/2017 20:28
The Falcon 9's first stage will attempt to land on SpaceX's drone ship "Just Read the Instructions" around 11 minutes after liftoff. If successful, the landing will mark the 15th time SpaceX has recovered one of its first stage boosters in 20 tries since drone ship landings began in 2015.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 1 мин. назад

L-80 Minutes: Pre-launch checks should be complete. Next up is the start of LOX chilldown, weather briefing and tanking polls. #Falcon9

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08/24/2017 20:31
Some statistics on today's launch:

[/li]
• 40th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket since 2010
• 45nd launch of Falcon rocket family since 2006
• 5th Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 20th launch of the upgraded Falcon 9
• 3rd upgraded Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 1st launch for NSPO by SpaceX
• 26th Falcon 9 day launch
• 12th Falcon 9 launch of 2017
• 4th launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2017
• 20th attempt to land a Falcon 9 first stage
  

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William Harwood‏ @cbs_spacenews 1 мин. назад

F9/Formosat5: L-1h7m; fueling poll complete; SpaceX team is go for propellant loading

08/24/2017 20:45
The SpaceX launch conductor has polled his team, resulting in a "go" to begin propellant loading operations at T-minus 60 minutes.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 42 сек. назад

T-60 Minutes & COUNTING - #Falcon9 is entering its highly choreographed tanking sequence. T-0 at 18:51 UTC. http://bit.ly/1Yx0oBm

08/24/2017 20:50[ [;/url&]
T-minus 60 minutes. The launch autosequence has started, kicking off the first steps to begin pumping propellants into the 229-foot-tall Falcon 9 at Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg.

RP-1 kerosene will be pumped into the two-stage Falcon 9 rocket first, followed by liquid oxygen chilled to near minus 340 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 206 degrees Celsius) at T-minus 35 minutes.

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08/24/2017 20:52
Water canons at the launch pad are being aimed at the base of the Falcon 9 rocket in preparation for ignition and liftoff.

And downrange tracking station status is reported "green" for launch.

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Chris G - NSF‏ @CwG_NSF 8 мин. назад

T-1hr. Fueling has started. The launch auto sequence has been imitated. #SpaceX #Formosat5 #Falcon9

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

T-45 Minutes: Final LOX Chilldown should be underway in preparation for the start of the fast-paced LOX load sequence in 10min. #Falcon9

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 3 мин. назад

T-38 Min: Coming up on an abbreviated poll that will clear #Falcon9 into Liquid Oxygen loading. Western Range has reported launch readiness.

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Chris G - NSF‏ @CwG_NSF 3 мин. назад

All progressing well. Range is "GO" for launch and landing. #SpaceX #Falcon9 #Formosat5

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Chris G - NSF‏ @CwG_NSF[/url] 1 мин. назад

LOX load has started. #SpaceX #Formosat5 #Falcon9

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

LOX load starts on the first stage, Stage 2 begins receiving oxidizer at T-20 minutes. #Falcon9

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 1 мин. назад

Stage 1 transitions to fast fill at this point. Prop load goes through a carefully throttled sequence to achieve flight mass just in time.