Spaceway 2 Launch thread - It's up!

[Brewer4]

I've been patient and biting my tongue for quite awhile but here it comes. What a bunch of freekin morons. Yes, I said it. If I was the project manager on the Directv side, I would be documenting all the things that have gone wrong with this choice. When and IF it ever gets in the air, unload a pile for filth on this group. I would wait till after since the objective is still to get it off the ground.

But this is getting gosh darn ridiculous. I've seen dozens of launches over the years and there are always delays but give me a break. This is just flat out unacceptable. Get that thing SAFELY in the air. If you cant do it, give it to someone who can and pay for all the costs associated to directv. And by the way, find another day job. This one aint going to well!

 

[hdtvtechno]

This is the first news report I found that the launch is indeed scheduled for tonight (Sunday) evening.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2005/November/theworld_November339.xml&section=theworld&col=


Space today says the problem is with ground equipment.

http://www.spacetoday.net/Summary/3147

That doesnt mean anything to us,
As anyone can put anything in writing

 

[hdtvtechno]

Channel 399

still has the big Directv logo across the screen on the channel as 6.30pm et

 

[hdtvtechno]

at 6.47pm et still nothing

 

[bgilga]

I am getting really irritated wih this nonsense. Get that bleeping bird in the air already.

 

[lee78221]

Arianespace to reschedule its heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA mission
November 13, 2005

Arianespace's dual-satellite Ariane 5 ECA mission will be rescheduled in the coming days following minor problems with the ground support infrastructure at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

The Ariane 5 will be returned from the ELA-3 launch zone to the Spaceport's final assembly building today to resolve the minor problems, which involve the mobile launch table on which the heavy-lift vehicle is installed.

Both the Ariane 5 and its dual payload of Spaceway 2 for DIRECT TV and Telkom 2 for PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia remain in a safe standby mode.

The Boeing-built Spaceway 2 will enable U.S. operator DIRECTV to bring local high-definition programming to most of the U.S. population, as well as expand its standard-definition local offerings.

Telkom 2 is an Orbital Sciences Corporation STAR 2 spacecraft platform, and it will be used by Indonesia's PT Telkom to expand its satellite communications coverage area into the ASEAN region and the Indian subcontinent.

 

[uncrules]

ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tonedeaf]

gosh darn ridiculous.

I think you mean ri-god-damn-diculous. And, I agree.

 

[enoree]

The French can't do ANYTHING right,they are a bunch of total screw ups,don't even know how to defend their own country ,let alone launch a satellite.

 

[mikedz4]

send the stupid thing to NASA I say. At least they'll launch it sometime this century where these nimcumpoops probably won't launch it til my great great great great great great grandchildren are in their 70's!!!!! If I were DirecTV I'd be calling up these idiots in the morning and telling them I want my dish back you're fired and sending the thing to someone else!!!!

 

[rocatman]

Arianespace to reschedule its heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA mission
November 13, 2005

Arianespace's dual-satellite Ariane 5 ECA mission will be rescheduled in the coming days following minor problems with the ground support infrastructure at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

The Ariane 5 will be returned from the ELA-3 launch zone to the Spaceport's final assembly building today to resolve the minor problems, which involve the mobile launch table on which the heavy-lift vehicle is installed.

Both the Ariane 5 and its dual payload of Spaceway 2 for DIRECT TV and Telkom 2 for PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia remain in a safe standby mode.

The Boeing-built Spaceway 2 will enable U.S. operator DIRECTV to bring local high-definition programming to most of the U.S. population, as well as expand its standard-definition local offerings.

Telkom 2 is an Orbital Sciences Corporation STAR 2 spacecraft platform, and it will be used by Indonesia's PT Telkom to expand its satellite communications coverage area into the ASEAN region and the Indian subcontinent.

I have to believe this delay will be a minimum of two weeks and more likely 3 to 4 weeks with the whole launch vehicle going back to the assembly building. If for some reason the launch vehicle would have to be removed from the launch table, the delay could be 2 to 3 months.

 

[bleodler]

Technical hitch delays Ariane 5
The launch of Europe's Ariane 5 rocket - initially due on Saturday in French Guyana - has been delayed by several days following a technical hitch.

Operator Arianespace says it will move the rocket from its launch pad to work on the unspecified problem.

A spokeswoman says a new launch date is unlikely before Tuesday.

The heavy-lift vehicle was set to blast-off carrying its largest payload yet of two telecoms satellites weighing more than eight tonnes.

Space officials postponed the mission shortly before launch from the Kourou spaceport on Saturday.

Arianespace gave no details of Saturday's technical hitch. But according to the news agency Reuters, the delay stems from a problem on the launch pad.

"We don't expect to launch before Tuesday now because we have to... fix the problem we have," spokeswoman Claudia Hoyeu said on Sunday.

Record payload

Arianespace's chief executive, Jean-Yves Le Gall, said he was "confident" about the launch later this week.

"Our attitude is not to take any risk with our launchers," he told French news agency AFP.

The rocket and its payload - the US-owned Spaceway 2 and Telkom 2, which will serve Southeast Asia and the Indian sub-continent - will be rolled into an onsite building for inspection, said Arianespace.

Saturday's flight was meant to demonstrate the lift capability of the beefed-up Ariane 5 vehicle - known as the Ariane 5-ECA.

The Ariane 5-ECA has flown successfully only once before, in February 2005.

Its maiden flight in 2002 ended in disaster, when the rocket had to be destroyed as it veered off course over the Atlantic Ocean.

The second mission, described as a qualification flight, placed two satellites in orbit: the Spanish XTAR-EUR military communications payload and an experimental spacecraft, called SloshSat.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4432446.stm

 

[wcf1647]

The French are "giving up" again? So What else is new?

 

[kwhittenberger]

My question is a simple one to DirectTV: at what point do the delays of Arianespace represent an unacceptable hit on their bottom line? Is DirectTV contractually tied to them, no matter what? Or is there at some point an out, even if it means bringing litigation?

I understand launching is a frighteningly complex, but how long do you allow somehting like this to go on?

 

[raymo721]

[Saturday's flight was meant to demonstrate the lift capability of the beefed-up Ariane 5 vehicle - known as the Ariane 5-ECA.

The Ariane 5-ECA has flown successfully only once before, in February 2005.

Its maiden flight in 2002 ended in disaster, when the rocket had to be destroyed as it veered off course over the Atlantic Ocean.]

Man, I'm really worried now!! What is D* thinking??? Stay with what works! Maybe Sea Launch couldn't fit D*s schedule or something, like$$. Don't they know the old saying you get what you pay for?? 2145hrs and still nothing. kwhittenberger, I agree with you, but with something like this unforseen things can always pop up and caution is the best course. The first delay was with the other payload so that was out of the Frogs hands, but I think this could hurt D* like you said and they should be compensated somehow someway. Anyone know who is sending the other birds up yet??--Ray

 

[Smthkd]

All I can say is Comcast is starting to look more and more appealing!

 

[raymo721]

All I can say is Comcast is starting to look more and more appealing!

My gym just put up 4 Sammy plasmas w/cable cards from Comcast. PQ is crappy on all of them from one degree or another. I thought "what a waste" and then realized who's paying for them. Eventually ME when I go to renew my membership!!--Ray

 

[lou_do]

People need to understand how important it is to have a launch 100% correct. There are thousands of steps that proceed a launch. If something is not right on any one of the steps, the countdown needs to be stopped and the problem investigated and corrected, before the launch can be attempted. What good would it do to ignore a problem during the countdown and have a payload have to be destroyed upon launch. Then we would really hear everyone cry when they have to wait another 2 or 3 years, before they could build and launch a replacement satellite, so we could get more HD channels.

I comment the launch crew at Arianespace for their taking time and making sure everything is correct before they launch. I would rather wait an extra month, than years, to see more HD channels.

Here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, we have a GOES weather satellite that was scheduled for launch months ago, and it keeps getting delayed and rescheduled, because of problems. They now have a launch date of November 30th for that one, we wait and see on that one also.

 

[Brewer4]

I think folks get the fact that launching is complex and you want it 100% correct. I think what most folks are saying is that this group (Arianespace) isnt very good at doing it on schedule. Or on reschedule, or reschedule, etc. I think most folks are just wishing D* picked another company to launch this thing.

Oh, Iknow timelines were filled elsewhere but this selction really helped didnt it?

 

[hdtvtechno]

Anyone remember what launch provider launched Directv's Satellite safely without any problems and on time without any delays in the past ?