DIRECTV 11 - Launch now reported as March 9th - Update: Delivered to SeaLaunch (1/26)

[ScoBuck]

Sucks worse for those of us at Dish.

Probably true in that it pushes D11 back to March I would suppose, and E11 well into the 2nd quarter.

[iceturkee]

They will attempt to launch each day until 11/29. If they cannot launch by 11/29 they will delay to January. This is mostly due to the fact that the command ship is running short of supplies.

and your reference for this is? i just checked the sea-launch website within the half hour (its 5:19 eastern time as i write this) and nothing has changed.

[Andrewwski]

NASASpaceflight.com, which has contacts with people at Boeing. Not an official statement by any means, but still credible.

[moonman]

Sea Launch Reschedules the Thuraya-3 Launch Campaign
Long Beach, Calif. November 26, 2007 - Due to unusually strong ocean currents at the launch site, Sea Launch is rescheduling the launch campaign for the Thuraya-3 satellite. The team is establishing an extended schedule for the Thuraya-3 mission, as the vessels return to Sea Launch Home Port. All personnel are doing well and all systems and the spacecraft are secure.

The Sea Launch team arrived at the launch site on Nov. 10 and initiated a 72-hour countdown for a Nov. 14 launch. Since that time, the Launch Platform has been subject to ocean currents of up to twice the normal levels, coupled with high winds. The result has been an inability for the vessel to maintain its launch position within established launch commit criteria. The launch team put the countdown on hold several times in an effort to work around the challenging environmental conditions, and to find alternative positions and headings for the vessels. However, sea-state conditions continued to deteriorate further.

The Odyssey Launch Platform, recently refurbished, performed as expected in all operational aspects. Throughout operations at the launch site, all segments of the satellite and launch system remained nominal in launch readiness and are now being secured for transit to Home Port, according to procedure.

"Notwithstanding the ingenuity and positive attitude of every person in every segment on this mission and the absolute readiness of all systems to support the launch of Thuraya-3, Mother Nature is not cooperating," said Rob Peckham, president and general manager of Sea Launch. "Therefore, the integrated team (Marine Segment, Mission Director, Rocket Segment and Spacecraft) has agreed to terminate the countdown. We will now focus on extending the campaign and scheduling the corresponding activities required to return to the launch site and launch our customer’s satellite."

[Jimbo]

Somehow this delay will be D*'s fault as well as the delay for the launch of D*'s expected sat to go up....
I'm certian when D* delay is announced it will be blamed on them.

Jimbo

[iceturkee]

in other words, don't look for directv 11 to be launched anytime soon. and god only knows when the echostar bird will go up.

[stevelite]

What channels do we get with 11 and Thuraya 3?

[iceturkee]

nothing with thuraya 3. that's the launch sked immediately before directv 11 is launched.

as for dtv 11, it will add more national hd but also increase the number of hd lil cities.

[moonman]

thuraya 3. that's the launch sked immediately before directv 11 is launched.

as for dtv 11, it will add more national hd but also increase the number of hd lil cities.

-------------
Thuraya 3 update:
New launch schedule:
LP to depart Long Beach 12/29
CS to depart Long Beach 1/2
So the launch will be approximately on January 14 or 15...

[iceturkee]

sea-launch website saturday afternoon had not been updated.