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Proton HAS LAUNCHED!


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Welcome to Last Minute Launch Threads, where I, @Ultimate Steve, post about rocket launches that nobody has made threads for! (Thread #6-ish, #1 since I started counting.)

Today, we will see the launch of Proton with the EchoStar 21 satellite.

TL;WR: Livestream!

Long version: This is Proton.

 

 

Image result for proton rocket

 

Even if you follow space often, you may not have heard of it. The reason for this is that it hasn't flown in a while. This is because of a string of failures Proton had.

Proton, throughout its many iterations, has been in service since 1965. It is also fueled nearly entirely using hypergolics, including the notorious UDMH, a toxic fuel.

Launch time: 0345:47 GMT on 8th (11:45:47 p.m. EDT on 7th)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
An International Launch Services Proton rocket with a Breeze M upper stage will deploy the EchoStar 21 communications satellite, formerly known as TerreStar 2. EchoStar 21 will provide mobile broadband services over Europe with an S-band payload for EchoStar Mobile Ltd. Delayed from June 25, Aug. 29, Oct. 10, Nov. 23, Dec. 22, Dec. 28, Jan. 31, February, April 29 and May 29. [June 5]
 

-SpaceFlightNow

 

Enjoy the Last Minute Launch!

 

 
Edited by Ultimate Steve
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I'll be at work :( I wanted to see if Russians fixed their faulty engine problem in Protons. Oh well - in about 9 hours i will find here or on YT if it was successful launch or a (toxic) fireworks show.

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6 minutes ago, SuperFastJellyfish said:

It's all montage at the moment, but this seems to be the stream.

Good find!

However, the last few streams they have done have been all montage and have lasted <30mins. So, that may or may not end up actually being the actual cast.

EDIT: The montage is pretty cool! I wouldn't have expected ILS to do a montage at all!

 

Also, at every single launch I play a different cover of "The Final Countdown" so that the most dramatic part synchronizes with liftoff. I've been searching one for tonight, and I came across this. Oh... My... one of the best versions I've ever heard! I have decided that Proton is not worthy of it... I'm saving that for when Falcon Heavy flies!

Now to find a cover for tonight...

Edited by Ultimate Steve
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Wow. So is it common practice in Russia to replace launch footage with that of another? Last night's launch very clearly showed an engine failure.      

.  THAT is last nights launch.     

 This not even the same video. Nice job Russia. That's not shady at all. 

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Does anyone know the status of Echostar? Something fishy is going on here and I'm wondering if it's because the payload didn't make orbit so they go and upload footage from another launch. Roscosmos hasn't had issues admitting failures in recent history, but for the Proton a failure here is catastrophic for the program, no?

Edited by Motokid600
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Proton doesn't have engine-out capability, failure of a first stage engine in early flight would mean FTS activation. I haven't been able to see the videos (I'm on mobile), but you're probably just seeing the release of nitrogen tetroxide that happens in the first seconds of flight. This occurs on all flights, but is not obvious in much footage because of the camera angles.

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1 hour ago, Motokid600 said:

Wow. So is it common practice in Russia to replace launch footage with that of another? Last night's launch very clearly showed an engine failure.      

.  THAT is last nights launch.    

This not even the same video. Nice job Russia. That's not shady at all. 

Looks like spaceflight 101's mistake, rocosmos's video has the smoke

 

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Now I'm home, I've been able to look at the vids; I'm certain they are the same launch from different angles. The 'smoke' appears during all proton launches, it's just a quirk of the fuelling system. 

Edited by Kryten
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No. There was totally one engine down on one video and non on the other. Watch the engines as it ascends. It could not be more obvious that one engine is not running. Its not Spaceflight 101s fault every video of the Proton launch released today is a video of a different launch with all engines firing. I'll do some screen grabs later.

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One engine's plume looks weaker than the others just because of the angle and how they get stacked on top of each other visually; people said the exact same thing after the 2013 failure, but we know the engines worked fine there.

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Luminosity on the higher video looks perfectly balanced. Engines are all working fine.  Looked like the fumes (NTO?)  coming down change the translucence of the engines on one side during early liftoff but they are the same length so the flow rate and combustion are nearly identical.  No pulsing or tail wagging in the plume. Watching it live the feed was a bit jumpy. Sure wish they had more and better video.  Spoiled by SpaceX launches.

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