US private space firm Space X has been making waves already with this ongoing projects like reaching anywhere in the world or on the earth within an hour and establishing human colonies on mars. However, distant this dream might look for many of the ignorant us, Falcon recently is proving its mettle with its launches for NASA. Recently so, it has launched two earth observing satellites for NASA besides 5 satellites for Iridium with the help of its already in use Falcon 9 rocket on May 22, on a ride share mission. The launch was scheduled at 12.47 pm PD from the Space launch complex 4E (SLC-$E) located at the Vandenberg Air force Base.
NASA shortly after tweeted about the launch of its GRACEFO SATELLITES and their deployments from the Falcon 9 rocket. They also tweeted that they were awaiting the first communication from #GRACEFO through the communication station at MC Murdo in Antarctica. These earth observing satellites are to monitor earth’s water cycle using the unique ride share arrangement.
The whole mission has been designed into stages which includes the two Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on mission (GRACE-FO) spacecraft to follow each other in orbit around earth but separate by around 220 km.
After the lift of, the Falcon 9 first stage engines will burn for around two minutes and 45 seconds and then will shut down at main engine cut off (MECO). Further, its first as well as second stages will separate seconds afterwards. Then the second stage engine will ignite for the first time (SES1) and burn for around 490 kms or till the space craft reaches the altitude of injection orbit. Simultaneously, the launch vehicle’s nose cone or the payload fairing will separate into two halves just as a clamshell would and fall.
When the rocket completes its second stage of ascent to the injection orbit altitude, it will point its nose down 30 degrees so that one of the GRACE-FO satellites faces the earth while the other is facing the space.
Once the second stage completes, the second stage engine will cut off (SECO).
So, after 10 minutes post lift off, the separation system on the second stage will be responsible for deploying these two satellites in Space. The separation will occur over the Pacific Ocean and the first data capture from the satellites will occur around 23 minutes post separation as per NASA.
GRACE- FO is a collaborative mission between German Research Centre for Geosciences and NASA for continuing their work of the original GRACE mission of observation of water and other mass movement around the planet Earth by precise tracking of the changing pull of gravity.
NASA also tweeted about the other five satellites and that they were to be deployed after one hour of their launch.
Aerospace Engineering Department was established in year of 2017 with an intake of 60, affiliated under VTU with AICTE recognition to meet the intensifying needs for Aerospace Industries. Aerospace Engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the design development and launching of satellite launch vehicle, defense missiles and satellites for different applications.