SpaceX rocket will put an Egyptian communications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit
Egyptian satellite operator Nilesat has partnered with SpaceX to launch the Nilesat-301 geostationary communications satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite is based on the Spacebus 4000-B2 chassis and weighs about four tons at launch, offering a lifespan of over 15 years. The Nilesat-301 will help extend the company's supply of Ku-band communications and direct digital broadcast services in two major new regions of North Africa, as well as provide Ka-band connectivity throughout Egypt.
Falcon 9 v1.2 FT Block 5 rocket number B1062-7 will launch the mission, taking off from SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA, at 21:04 UTC (17:04 EDT); this will be the seventh flight of this 'booster'.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission previously supported the launch of GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, and two Starlink missions. After stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean., The weather forecast predicts 60% for June 8, 70% of favorable weather for the 9th.
Ahmed Anis, CEO of The Egyptian Satellite Company Nilesat, announced that the Nilesat 301 will replace the Nilesat 201, whose lifespan ends in 2028. Anis said in press statements that June 8 was set as the satellite launch date after the completion of all test and operational operations following the transfer of the Egyptian satellite from the Thales Company headquarters in France, where it was manufactured, to the launch base in Florida, USA. The launch process will be carried out by SpaceX. Anis indicated that the satellite manufacturing process took about two and a half years, and that it was scheduled to launch earlier in the year, had it not been for the circumstances of COVID-19. And about the technical capabilities of the new satellite, Anis said that the NileSat 301 has 38 transponders compared to 26 transponders on the Nilesat 201. He added that the new satellite would expand coverage. In addition to the areas covered by the current one, the countries of Southern Africa and the Nile River basin will be covered, in order to achieve greater communication with the peoples of the African continent and follow the directions of political leadership in the deepening of Egyptian-African relations.
The capabilities of the new satellite also include providing broadband internet services to cover the Arab Republic of Egypt and remote areas to provide internet services for new projects, infrastructure projects, new urban communities and oil fields in the eastern Mediterranean, especially the field of Zohr. Nilesat's CEO indicated that the provision of this service reaches the integration with the Egyptian satellite (Tiba 1), which was launched at the end of last November. Thus, Egypt will be able to provide satellite Internet service through two satellites to ensure the security and continuity of this service.
LAUNCH, LANDING, AND DEPLOYMENT
All times are approximate
HR/MIN/SEC EVENT
00:00:00 Falcon 9 liftoff
00:01:12 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:02:34 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
00:02:37 1st and 2nd stages separate
00:02:45 2nd stage engine starts
00:03:24 Fairing deployment
00:06:28 1st stage entry burn begins
00:06:50 1st stage entry burn complete
00:08:05 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO)
00:08:19 1st stage landing burn begins
00:08:42 1st stage landing
00:26:56 2nd stage engine restarts
00:28:02 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-2)
00:33:13 Nilesat 301 deployment