CIEL 2 Launch Delayed

[RandallA]

Expected launch date: Q1, 2009

Operated by Ciel Satellite, Ciel-2 is expected be located at 129° West and to deliver services throughout North America.

Upcoming launches

I guess we'll have to wait until next year for the replacement for 129W. Isn't Echostar 5's end of life, December of this year? Or somewhere around that time?

Edit: Actually the information was updated in Aug, 2007.

Summary: The satellite was originally designed with a minimum 12-year design life. Momentum wheel failures in prior years, together with relocation of the satellite between orbital locations, resulted in increased fuel consumption. These issues have not impacted commercial operation of the satellite, but have reduced the remaining spacecraft life to less than two years as of 30 June 2007.

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

Dish just cant catch a break lately.

 

[tigerfan33]

Wow. When you are snake-bit you are snake-bit.

 

[flyingsquirrel]

Why is this a surprise? It is using the same launcher, second stage and launch site as the late, lamented, AMC14.

They have to redesign the part that broke. I would be shocked it it actually launched in Q1 2009.

 

[tomdkat]

Dish just cant catch a break lately.

karma!

 

[rocatman]

Why is this a surprise? It is using the same launcher, second stage and launch site as the late, lamented, AMC14.

They have to redesign the part that broke. I would be shocked it it actually launched in Q1 2009.

Most of the reports related to the launch vehicle failure point to firing the upper stage engines for too long a period of time. Other missions with this launch vehicle have used shorter duration upper stage engine firings (burns) but this normally requires more burns typically an increase from 3 to 5 so mission profiles could be modified to reduce the engine burn length time but increase the number of burns.

 

[8bitbytes]

Echostar XI goes up this summer sometime from SeaLaunch Systems. They can just move things around.

 

[HokieEngineer]

No, Ciel-2 has a big spotbeam payload onboard. If it was just another CONUS bird there would be no problem. Not to mention how close they will be cutting it based on Echo-5s health. Given it takes a month or so just to test a newly launched satellite, they better hope there are no more launch problems for ANYONE this year.

 

[HokieEngineer]

Summary: The satellite was originally designed with a minimum 12-year design life. Momentum wheel failures in prior years, together with relocation of the satellite between orbital locations, resulted in increased fuel consumption. These issues have not impacted commercial operation of the satellite, but have reduced the remaining spacecraft life to less than two years as of 30 June 2007.

Basically means it has a year of life left from right now. They have to make sure they can get it into a graveyard orbit before it runs out of fuel.

 

[aperry]

This is just sad.

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

If dish cant get 129 replaced and working like it should and be able to add more HD I just dont see how they can survive. Man they are going downhill fast and picking up speed.

 

[mike123abc]

If it got to be too late they would probably move E6 or E8 to 129.

 

[pdxsam]

Dish does have a few options.. once Eastern Arc runs full bore. If 129 really goes FUBAR they can start moving most of the country from seeing 129 to Eastern Arc... they could mirror national HD on 148 for the west coast as a temporary thing until they can get something more permanent figured out an running. A lot of northwest folks I bet would be verrrrrrry happy if they mirrored HD nationals on 148. I'm not sure how much space is there but I would imagine there's enough now.

 

[Slamminc11]

If dish cant get 129 replaced and working like it should and be able to add more HD I just dont see how they can survive. Man they are going downhill fast and picking up speed.

Yeah, cause those 11+ million customers who don't have HD will be pissed if they don't add more HD!

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

Yeah, cause those 11+ million customers who don't have HD will be pissed if they don't add more HD!

No it wont really hurt the HD customers now as the 129 is already a POS. But it would hurt going into the future as they already cant compete too well with direct which is having an effect on the 11+ million. This in combination with all the lawsuits filed at dish, the poor CS, poor training, and the harsh treatment to the techs make Dish a sinking ship in my eyes. No one wants to be there and no one for sure wants to work there.

 

[Poke]

At this point I might start looking at another company to get my Sats up..

 

[bgsmallwood]

To add insult to injury:

BANGALORE, India -- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) placed two domestic and eight foreign satellites in orbit Monday in what the agency said was the most complex mission launched as yet by its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

India Hails Success of Complicated Rocket Launch - Yahoo! News

PARIS -- Israel's Amos-3 telecommunications satellite was placed successfully into geostationary orbit on Monday aboard the inaugural flight of the Russian-Ukrainian Land Launch system, setting the stage for what satellite-fleet operators hope will be a lively competition between Land Launch -- affiliated with Sea Launch Co. of Long Beach, Calif. -- and Russian Soyuz rockets launched from Europe's equatorial spaceport.

Amos-3's owner, Spacecom of Tel Aviv, confirmed that the 1,270-kilogram Amos-3 separated from Land Launch's Block DM upper stage about seven and one-half hours after launch following three Block DM ignition-and-coast sequences. Spacecom said the satellite had sent initial signals and that its solar arrays had deployed.
Land Launch uses essentially the same rocket, the Zenit 3SL, as that operated by Sea Launch Co. from a floating platform on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The rocket launched at 1:00 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT).

Israeli Satellite Reaches Orbit in Land Launch Debut - Yahoo! News

 

[darrencp22]

I know people are frustrated but this happened that day the AMC 14 launch failed. This really isnt news.

 

[bgsmallwood]

To add insult to injury:

BANGALORE, India -- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) placed two domestic and eight foreign satellites in orbit Monday in what the agency said was the most complex mission launched as yet by its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

India Hails Success of Complicated Rocket Launch - Yahoo! News

PARIS -- Israel's Amos-3 telecommunications satellite was placed successfully into geostationary orbit on Monday aboard the inaugural flight of the Russian-Ukrainian Land Launch system, setting the stage for what satellite-fleet operators hope will be a lively competition between Land Launch -- affiliated with Sea Launch Co. of Long Beach, Calif. -- and Russian Soyuz rockets launched from Europe's equatorial spaceport.

Amos-3's owner, Spacecom of Tel Aviv, confirmed that the 1,270-kilogram Amos-3 separated from Land Launch's Block DM upper stage about seven and one-half hours after launch following three Block DM ignition-and-coast sequences. Spacecom said the satellite had sent initial signals and that its solar arrays had deployed.
Land Launch uses essentially the same rocket, the Zenit 3SL, as that operated by Sea Launch Co. from a floating platform on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The rocket launched at 1:00 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT).

Israeli Satellite Reaches Orbit in Land Launch Debut - Yahoo! News

 

[Slamminc11]

No it wont really hurt the HD customers now as the 129 is already a POS. But it would hurt going into the future as they already cant compete too well with direct which is having an effect on the 11+ million. This in combination with all the lawsuits filed at dish, the poor CS, poor training, and the harsh treatment to the techs make Dish a sinking ship in my eyes. No one wants to be there and no one for sure wants to work there.

I'm trying to follow your logic but geez...
As as far as no one wants to work there, last I heard they had 23,000 employees. Doesn't sound like "no one" to me.
And your no one wants to be there line, tell me the last quarter Dish was in the negative in customer additions?