SpaceX scrubbed launching a communications satellite from an Indonesian company for a third consecutive day.
Possible technical issues got in the way of a launch attempt Wednesday evening after back-to-back days of weather delays.
When it’s able to launch, the Nusantara Lima (N5) satellite will be sent into a geosynchronous transfer orbit roughly 27 minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX is targeting liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 on Thursday, Sept. 11, at 7:59 p.m. EDT (2359 UTC).
Reaching more people The N5 satellite was announced back in 2022, which was designed to help augment the connectivity provided to resident of Indonesia and the surrounding areas by the Satria-1 satellite.
September update. 10, at 5:55 p.m. M. EDT: SpaceX canceled the mission, with a September target date. 11. .
This is the third day in a row that SpaceX has canceled the launch of a communications satellite from an Indonesian company. Following two consecutive days of weather delays, a launch attempt was thwarted Wednesday evening by potential technical difficulties.
About 27 minutes after liftoff, the Nusantara Lima (N5) satellite will be launched into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. From Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), it is the most recent satellite.
SpaceX plans to launch on Thursday, September, from Space Launch Complex 40. 11, at 7:59 p.m. M. 2359 UTC, or EDT. When the rocket departs the Space Coast of Florida, it will fly due east.
About an hour before liftoff, Spaceflight Now will start providing live coverage.
At the beginning of Tuesday’s window, the 45th Weather Squadron predicted a 30 percent chance of liftoff, which eventually increased to 45 percent. The primary launch barrier, according to meteorologists, is the possibility of thunderstorms, pointing out that “wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph are possible near stronger storms.”. “”.
Launch weather officers stated that “deep atmospheric moisture will remain in place across Florida through mid-week.”. The likelihood of showers and storms for the main launch opportunity will continue to increase due to this, a stalled front across central Florida, and periods of instability in the atmosphere. “”.
Using its Falcon 9 rocket and the seasoned first-stage booster B1078, SpaceX will launch the N5 satellite. Following a number of missions, such as NASA’s Crew-6, USSF-124, and ASTSpaceMobile’s BlueBird 1-5 satellites, this will be the booster’s 23rd flight.
B1078 will launch the rocket into the lower atmosphere and then land in the Atlantic Ocean on the drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas.”. A successful landing would be SpaceX’s 503rd booster landing to date and the 124th recovery for that ship.
expanding one’s audience.
When the N5 satellite was first announced in 2022, it was intended to supplement the Satria-1 satellite’s connectivity for residents of Indonesia and the surrounding regions. Originally scheduled to launch in 2023 alongside Satria-1, N5 was postponed.
PSN was contacted by Spaceflight Now about the delay before Monday’s initial launch attempt, but they have not responded.
The satellite is constructed on the same bus, manufactured by Boeing, that Intelsat’s IS-33e spacecraft, which experienced an anomaly in October, used. 19, 2024, causing the spacecraft to break apart into dozens of pieces, causing the “total loss.”. Launched in August 2016, the satellite went into operation in January 2017.
No public announcement was made regarding the anomaly’s underlying cause.
With its 101 Ka-band spot beam, the N5 satellite can provide a capacity of 160 Gbps. It was constructed on Boeing Space Systems’ 702MP VHTS (Very High Throughput Satellite) bus. It is designed to operate for more than 15 years.
With service anticipated to start in early 2026, N5 should arrive in its operating orbit at 113 degrees East over the Equator sometime in mid-January.
