RazakSAT Launch Rescheduled
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By Guy Norris
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Malaysia's Astronautic Technology have set July 13 as the first launch window opportunity for the delayed Falcon 1 Flight 5, carrying the RazakSAT Earth resources satellite.
SpaceX originally held up the launch on April 20 after identifying a "potential compatibility issue between the Falcon 1 vehicle and the payload." After further analysis, the company says a simple vibration isolation system is expected "to address this concern." SpaceX has selected the SoftRide isolation system from California-based CSA Engineering, a specialist in vibration and dynamic interaction mitigation.
The Reagan Test Site range launch window opens on July 13 and extends through the following day, with a daily window to open at 4 p.m. (PDT). The launch site is located about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii on Omelek Island, on the United States Army Kwajalein Atoll range in the Central Pacific.
Falcon 1 will place the RazakSAT satellite, equipped with a high-resolution Medium-Sized Aperture Camera (MAC), into a near-equatorial orbit. The ATSB-designed satellite will provide high-resolution images of Malaysia that can be applied to land management, resource development and conservation, forestry and fish migration.
RazakSAT photo: SpaceX
