EchoStar 8 Launch Status

[Mark Holtz]

Okay, I did some research, and based upon the coordinates of this web page (http://www.fas.org/spp/guide/russia/facility/baikonur.htm), I came to the following nearby locations.

Kazalinsk, Kazakhstan (aproximately 50 miles west):
http://banners.wunderground.com/banner/default_both/language/www/global/stations/35849.gif (http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/35849.html)

Kzyl-Orda, Kazakhstan (about 120 miles east south east):
http://banners.wunderground.com/banner/default_both/language/www/global/stations/38062.gif (http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/38062.html)

Current launch status report (http://spaceflightnow.com/proton/echostar8/status.html)

[TNGTony]

Okay...so it wasn't weather...
I wonder what the "unspecified" problem was?

See ya
Tony

[Mark Holtz]

I'm going to have to correct the map. Wrong location (Balkasino, Kazakhstan).

[Richard King]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/proton/echostar8/status.html
Something wrong with the payload (satellite)

[Mark Holtz]

Bumping this thread up. While the SpaceFlightNow link is still stuck at June 22nd, we have a new launch date of late August.

[johnsmith22]

Looks like the launch is on for late august:

http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=dish&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=322430

[Craig Fogus]

Will this satellite help offload some of the programming on the other satellites and help with the compression which leads to poor picture quality?

[Mike123abc]

It should help with the compression quite a bit. There are about 16 transponders on 110 that should move to spot beams. There will be 5 transponders on 110 used for spots, so there should be a net gain of 11 transponders.

Right now most of the ATA150 is 10-12 stations per transponder, they can easily go back to 7-8 per transponder. This would give about 4 Mbit per station. About 4mbit/sec is what is needed for what most people consider excellent quality.

[MarkA]

Are they going to do in-orbit testing @ a seperate slot (possibly 129?) or are they just taking it straight up to 110 and hoping for the best to avoid further delays?

[Jacob S]

I was told by an advanced technician at Dish Network that they were going to eventually move all of the channels that were at 61.5 or some of them at least and put them on 129. I guess this is to save space on 110 and 119 slots.

[MarkA]

I REALLY doubt that advanced tech had a clue. Why? Two reasons:

1.) 129 is NOT setup for DBS service, so a different type of LNBF (and likely a larger dish) is needed
2.) Echostar doesn't have any space at 129 (though they were granted permission, I believe, to use it for in-orbit of E*8) - they are leasing everything they got there.

[andrzejpw]

yeah, 129 doesn't sound right. Dish 500 is for 110/119, right? So, I'm guessing everyone would need an extra dish?

[MarkA]

A new DISH, that is the advantage 129 does have - 110, 119, and 129 can all be picked up with a single trifocal dish.

[andrzejpw]

Gah! trifocal dishes now!

And I thought I was cool with my dish 500/extra 61.5

But you could also add a dish to go to 129, right?

[MarkA]

Correct, you could. But that's not what DISH is doing. BTW, DirecTV has had trifocal dishes for a long time now, but most people only use them with two LNBFs (the dish is for 101/110/119 - but there's no reason for 99% of DirecTV subs to see 110)

[andrzejpw]

Ahh, so dish isn't using trifocal dishes? And what's the dishpro?

[MarkA]

No, they aren't giving an extra DISH for 129. They ARE using a trifocal dish originally intended for Starband

DISHPro is a stacked LNBF system that eliminates the whole 13/18 Volts Odd/Even transponder thing -all transponders are sent down all the cables all the time. The only thing that has to be switched is satellites. It makes multiswitches much simpliler devices and overall eliminates much of the hassles from a satellite installation.

[Mark Holtz]

From another post.... (with due acknowledgement)

EVIII now scheduled for launch 1:30am ET Tuesday 8/20.

That's Monday night 8/19 for a lot of us.

[Jacob S]

The Dish 500 can be used for three orbital slots by adding a directv lnbf, correct? I tried this but could not get it to work. I added it next to the 110 lnbf side. (upper side on the left as you look at the dish). I tried it on both sides as a matter of fact.

[dlsnyder]

Maybe it's just me but every time I see EVII or EVIII mentioned in a post my mind reads EVIL. Just one of those things...

[Craig Fogus]

It's not just you! lol :)

[John Corn]

Just another info link.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020815/150041_1.html

[J. Allen Head]

I just hope the launch is successful and doesn't have any problems so maybe , just maybe it might possibly relieve compression on at least one or two channels. I wish they would back off the compression a little , but we all know it will go for more locals.


Oh how nice it would be if the channels weren't compressed so much so we could get a little better picture quality than we have right now for better detail and not so much fuzziness and blur and the picture jerking on sporting events and action movies

[Jacob S]

I figure that those without locals wish for the locals, those with the locals wish for less compression.

[J. Allen Head]

That's true Jacob, I wish everyone already had there locals added,

Maybe some day they will get all the locals up and then possibly focus on picture detail ( doubtful )

[Mark Holtz]

Okay, the launch is now showing up in the guide on channel 101, and I've put in a request for a live chat.

[Jacob S]

After the satellite is launched how long will it be before they can/will use the satellite to bring additional LIL channels?

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Jacob S
After the satellite is launched how long will it be before they can/will use the satellite to bring additional LIL channels?


You might want to search threads on EVII. No one can answer authoritatively when it WILL come on line but it will give you an idea of recent experience with a similar satellite.

[Scott Greczkowski]

Launch coverage should begin at 12:30am Est. on channel 101

Go E*8!

[kstuart]

Originally posted by Jacob S
I figure that those without locals wish for the locals, those with the locals wish for less compression.

No, I wish that ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN and WB all go out of business.

Then the Golden Age of Television would begin.

[bogi]

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski
Launch coverage should begin at 12:30am Est. on channel 101

Go E*8!


I am staying awake for this one. The chance of failure in my book is 1:10 :D

[kstuart]

I am staying awake for this one.

These days my mommy lets me stay up to 10:15 pm all the time!

[Mark Holtz]

Okay, I'm hopping into the chat room at http://chat.dbstalk.com/ now.

[Scott Greczkowski]

Launch scrubbed for today, no reason given for why.

[Mark Holtz]

At T-20 minutes, the launch was given a no-go and scrubbed. No reason given at this time.

[AkShark]

ARRRRRG!!
Foiled Again!!

[AkShark]

Did anyone notice E8 looks like a Borg ship!!! LOL

[Guest]

The rocket had a nervous breakdown due to all of you staring at it. ILS is going to give it some medication; meanwhile, they ask that you please stop asking when it's going up so it can sneak into space without anyone noticing.
:)

[Mark Holtz]

(All times pacific)

Launch report...

Okay, this time we got some video. Although the schedule says that launch coverage begins at 9:45 PM, the video actually starts at 9:30 with a loop of the launches of EchoStar I-VII. But, at 9:45 PM, the video starts.

It should be noted that this video is being provided by International Launch Services (ILS), and Dish is merely carrying the video feed.

T-29:20, and we have a live shot of the payload dome from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It's 10:45 AM at the launch site. We're joined by Jennifer Hodges who briefs us about the EchoStar 8. This is the sixth satellite launched by ILS, and the second attempt to launch E*8. The first abort was due to an issue with the satellite.

The fueling began six hours previously, and the service tower was rolled back one hour previously.

Jennifer is joined by Eric Laursen, ILS Vice President and Chief Engineer. So far, everything is looking good. There was a problem with the phone line communications, but those have been resolved. The weather is a bit hot, but within technical constraint.

A brief rundown on what Eric does. He basically handles the Atlas and Proton rockets. Much technicality deleted.

At this point, they have completed the final software updates to the Proton's guidence systems, and transferred control to the automatic launch sequencer. E*8 completed it's final checks, and at T-30 minutes, signalled it's readiness for launch.

Eric then gives a rundown of what is happening now. The first three stages of the Proton rockets are going through final checkout stages, and will give their go for launch at T-10 minutes. At T-5 minutes, the launch vehicle firing circuits are powered up. At T-2 minutes, the rock VM is switched to internal power, which would constitute a final system check and go for launch.

Brief rundown on the Proton-K. More technical data. While they roll some video, they give a rundown of the launch. The first three stages will launch the satellite into a parking orbit. The fourth stage will place E*8 into it's proper posiiton, a process that will take six hours. Some of the video shows this launch complex, on the outside, is a bit run down when compared to NASA. There is a shot of the vehicle being pulled out by a train. More technical information on how the rocket works.

Talk about history about the Proton history, starting with development in the early 1960s with the first launch in 1965. There have been 300 successful launches of the various Proton models.

T-21:55. More talk about the history of the proton rocket. Sounds more like a sale to potential launch customers and satellite buffs than for us joe user.

T-20:55. Launch status. Eric says that the LV and upper stage is progressing nominally through their final system checks and everything is looking OK.

T-20:37. More taped footage of the arrival of EchoStar 8, and discussion as to how the satellite is handled.

Jennifer now talks about EchoStar 8 as to how the satellite is going to be used and that's it's manufactured by Loral. It can be configured for 16 national beams at 240 watts each for a total of 4,100 watts, plus the spot beams.

T-17:32. More advertising about SS Loral. They're about to roll video when Eric interrupts.

T-17:15. Eric just heard from launch control room that the launch vehicle is a no-go for launch. No reason given. It appears to be scrubbed for the day. Not a hold, definately a scrub. Eric looks unhappy. There is about 10 seconds of silence, and then we got word that the launch director has order that the switches be set for no-go for launch. Definate "stand-down for the day".

T-16:40. We hear the launch commander give the orders for shutting down in a orderly sequence, putting the rocket in "safe" mode. Eric is disappointed.

Okay, Jennifer is giving the www.ilslaunch.com and the 800 status number. Next Proton launch is later this year, next Atlas launch is tomorrow evening. Signing off, roll credits, we see various personnel sign on the outer housing of the satellite.

[Mark Holtz]

From Spaceflight Now (http://spaceflightnow.com/proton/echostar8/status.html)...

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2002
0530 GMT (1:30 a.m. EDT)

Liftoff of the EchoStar 8 spacecraft aboard the Russian Proton rocket from the Baikonour Cosmodrome in Central Asia has been rescheduled for Wednesday at 0515 GMT (1:15 a.m. EDT). The 24-hour postponement was ordered by launch officials because high-altitude winds were out of acceptable limits today.

Strong winds can be a problem for the rocket to fly through and are a common cause of launch scrubs.

Okay, anyone remember watching the launch of EchoStar 7. They had released several weather balloons to check the wind speeds, and the last one they released in reserve put them just below the limit for launch, so it went smoothly. This can happen with ANY spacecraft including the Space Shuttle.

[Guest]

Was Charlie on the video too or did he stay back in Denver?

[Richard King]

Charlie stayed in Denver. He was on the dealer chat today and said they had a gathering at the HQ to watch the launch. As soon as he walked in the door they announced the cancellation.

[J Rath]

Just seen on Spaceflight Now and ILS that the launch had been pushed back another 24 hours because of continued high winds.

Spaceflight Now Mission Status Report (http://spaceflightnow.com/proton/echostar8/status.html)

[JohnH]

http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=dish&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=327379

[Mark Holtz]

I'm in the chat room again. http://chat.dbstalk.com .

[Phil T]

It's up and its good!! (so far)

[AkShark]

Phil,

You are talking about E8, right!! LOL

[John Walsh]

Looks like it's a successful launch. I was getting a little worried about this one. I guess I can look forward to some better picture quality by Thanksgiving.

[Chris Blount]

Just read the transcripts from the chat. Great to hear the launch went well.

Tony, did you get to work on time this morning? You really should stop staying up so late. :)