GOES-U气象卫星发射任务
At 05:26 Beijing time on June 26, 2024 (17:26 EDT on the 25th), at the LC-39A station at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, SpaceX used the "Falcon Heavy" launch vehicle to launch the GOES-U meteorological satellite.
Large meteorological satellites sent to geostationary orbit
GOES-U为美国国家海洋和大气管理局（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration，NOAA）地球静止轨道运行环境卫星（Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite，GOES) R系列气象卫星（GOES-R）的第4颗也是最后1颗，由洛克希德·马丁公司（Lockheed Martin）研制，主体尺寸相当于一辆小型校车。
GOES-U meteorological satellite
GOES-U基于GOES-R系列前3颗卫星改进提升而来，有效载荷包括洛马公司研制的太阳紫外线成像仪（Solar Ultraviolet Imager，SUVI）、科罗拉多大学博尔德分校大气和空间物理实验室（University of Colorado, Boulder, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics）研制的极紫外和X射线辐照度传感器（Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors，EXIS）、L3哈里斯技术公司（L3Harris Technologies）研制的先进基线成像仪（Advanced Baseline Imager，ABI）、地球静止轨道闪电测绘仪（Geostationary Lighting Mappers，GLM）和磁力计（magnetometers）、Assurance Technology Corp.公司研制的太空环境原位探测组件（Space Environment In-Situ Suite，SEISS）以及美国海军研究实验室（Naval Research Laboratory）研制的小型日冕仪（Compact Coronagraph，CCOR）。
GOES-U气象卫星发射任务
The Small Heliograph (CCOR) is a new device that will detect white light in the upper layers of the Sun's outer corona and transmit images back to Earth within 30 minutes for use by the Space Weather Prediction Center. In addition to Earth observations, the solar observation payload carried by GOES-U will be used to observe and sense solar winds, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections, which will carry large amounts of highly magnetized material to Earth at millions of miles per hour, causing geomagnetic effects that can cause widespread damage to power grids and affect satellite communications and navigation systems.
GOES-16气象卫星示意图
After entering geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), the GOES-U satellite will climb to geostationary orbit (GEO) on its own, and will be renamed GOES-19 (GOES-East). After completing the on-orbit inspection, GOES-19 will be positioned above the equator at 75 degrees west longitude to replace GOES-16. If all goes well, the ground will have images and data from GOES-19 by spring 2025.
The "brand-new" heavy Falcon flies, and the powerful capacity extends the life of the heavy load by 1/3
The "Falcon Heavy" is a large (or heavy) cryogenic liquid launch vehicle, which is based on the "Falcon 9" and bundles two core first-stage module boosters side by side, using a two-stage and a half-stage configuration, consisting of two boosters, a core first stage, and a core second stage, and the main power is all liquid oxygen kerosene engines. The arrow is 70 meters long, the diameter of the core stage and core stage booster are 3.66 meters, the diameter of the fairing is 5.2 meters, the take-off mass is about 1421 tons, the maximum take-off thrust is about 2328 tons, and its standard low earth orbit (LEO) capacity reaches 63.8 tons, and the standard geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) capacity is 26.7 tons. The rocket is a partially reusable launch vehicle, and the booster and core stage can be recycled and reused.
GOES-U气象卫星发射任务
The original "Falcon Heavy" is a new rocket, the core stage is B1087.1, which is not recovered, and the two boosters are B1072.1 and B1086.1, which use return to the field recovery (RTLS). After completing the flight, the two boosters returned to land at the LZ-1 and LZ-2 landing areas at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, respectively.
GOES-U气象卫星发射任务
The launch was the first time that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has launched the GOES-R series of weather satellites on a SpaceX rocket. Previously, all three GOES-R satellites were launched by United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rockets, and in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) GOES-U launch mission tender, the United Launch Alliance withdrew the bid because there were no Atlas 5 rockets left. Eventually, NASA awarded a $152.5 million launch contract to SpaceX, which is scheduled to be implemented as early as September 2021.
GOES-U气象卫星发射任务
Because the capacity of the "Falcon Heavy" rocket is much stronger than that of the "Atlas 5", there is still a large margin of capacity when the two boosters are returned to the field and the core stage is not recovered, and the satellite GOES-U is sent into a geosynchronous transfer orbit with elevated perigee during the launch mission. According to the mission plan, the satellite's self-climbing speed increment (ΔV) into orbit is no higher than 987 m/s, while the Falcon Heavy "only needs the satellite to provide a speed increment of 566 m/s after sending GOES-U into the transfer orbit, saving valuable propellant for the satellite." GOES-U is designed to last 15 years, bringing the satellite to more than 20 years with the additional speed increase provided by Falcon Heavy.
Dominating the market with strength
Since its successful maiden flight on February 6, 2018, the Falcon Heavy rocket has carried out 10 launches and achieved 10 consecutive successes. The Falcon Heavy is mainly used for high-earth orbit and deep space launch missions, and has carried out important launch missions such as the "Guardian 3" American Star, the "Lingshen" probe, and the X-37B aerospace aircraft, showing high stability and reliability.
GOES-U气象卫星发射任务
In the world market for commercial space launch services, the main competitors of the Falcon Heavy are the Vulcan and Atlas 5 of the United Launch Alliance. Since the remaining rockets of "Atlas 5" have been ordered, its actual competitor is only the "Vulcan" rocket, and because the "Vulcan" will only complete its first flight in early 2024 and does not have the ability to launch in batches, the "Falcon Heavy" is in fact in a dominant state at the current stage, and its performance in 2023 is enough to explain a lot of problems.
GOES-U气象卫星发射任务
In 2023, Falcon Heavy carried out as many as five missions, more than the previous five years combined (four). Compared with its competitors, the "Heavy Falcon" has a price advantage in addition to its performance advantages. By the end of 2022, the Falcon Heavy booster and the core stage full recovery status are quoted at $97 million, corresponding to a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) capacity of 8 tons. It has obvious cost advantages over the expensive "Vulcan" rocket with the upper stage of the "Centauri", which can only reduce the price of a single engine to 110 million US dollars after 10 to 20 launches per year, and its geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) capacity is 3.5~15.3 tons.
GOES-U气象卫星发射任务
The GOES-U mission is the second launch granted to SpaceX by NASA, following the Psyche asteroid mission. The third launch will take place in October this year, and the Europa Clipper deep space probe will be launched using Falcon Heavy. In November, Falcon Heavy will also launch Griffin Mission 1, which will be its first mission to the moon.
This launch is the first launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket in 2024, the 13th launch from the Kennedy Space Center, the first 76 launch from the United States, and the 121st launch in the world
Author: Mulan Xingzhou