Falcon 9 launch timeline with the GPS 3 SV01 navigation satellite - Spaceflight Now

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is set for liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Tuesday carrying the U.S. Air Force’s first GPS 3-series navigation satellite destined for an orbit more than 12,000 miles above Earth.

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket is poised for launch from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 9:11 a.m. EST (1411 GMT) Tuesday at the opening of a 26-minute launch window.

The Lockheed Martin-built GPS 3 SV01 satellite mounted atop the rocket is the first member of an upgraded generation of GPS navigation spacecraft, featuring higher-power signals that are more resilient to jamming, and additional broadcast frequencies to make the GPS network more interoperable with other navigation satellite fleets.

The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage booster will not be recovered on this launch due to the performance required to place the GPS satellite into its intended orbit, while allowing for a fuel reserve to de-orbit the Falcon 9’s upper stage at the end of the mission.

The timeline below outlines the launch sequence for the Falcon 9 flight with the GPS 3 SV01 spacecraft.

See our Mission Status Center for details on the launch.

Data source: SpaceX

T-0:00:00: Liftoff

After the rocket’s nine Merlin engines pass an automated health check, hold-down clamps will release the Falcon 9 booster for liftoff from pad 40.

T+0:01:04: Max Q

The Falcon 9 rocket reaches Max Q, the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure, a few seconds after surpassing the speed of sound.

T+0:02:44: MECO

The Falcon 9’s nine Merlin 1D engines shut down.

T+0:02:48: Stage 1 Separation

The Falcon 9’s first stage separates from the second stage moments after MECO.

T+0:02:50: First Ignition of Second Stage

The second stage Merlin 1D vacuum engine ignites for a five-and-a-half-minute burn to put the rocket and GPS 3 SV01 into a preliminary parking orbit.

T+0:03:22: Fairing Jettison

The 5.2-meter (17.1-foot) diameter payload fairing jettisons once the Falcon 9 rocket ascends through the dense lower atmosphere. The 43-foot-tall fairing is made of two clamshell-like halves composed of carbon fiber with an aluminum honeycomb core.

T+0:08:16: SECO 1

The second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket shuts down after reaching a preliminary orbit. The upper stage and GPS 3 SV01 begin a coast phase scheduled to about one hour before the second stage Merlin vacuum engine reignites.

T+1:08:51: Second Ignition of Second Stage

The Falcon 9’s second stage Merlin engine restarts to propel the GPS 3 SV01 navigation satellite into an elliptical transfer orbit with an inclination of 55 degrees.

T+1:09:37: SECO 2

The Merlin engine shuts down after a planned 46-second burn to put the GPS 3 SV01 satellite in the proper orbit for deployment.

T+1:56:17: GPS 3 SV01 Separation

The GPS 3 SV01 satellite separates from the Falcon 9 rocket in an elliptical transfer orbit with an apogee, or high point, near the altitude of the GPS fleet, located around 12,550 miles (22,200 kilometers) above Earth.

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/18/falcon-9-launch-timeline-with-the-gps-3-sv01-navigation-satellite/

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