Problem With Optus D1

[MeteorWayne]

Thanx for the reminder, very interesting to watch! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[bobw]

Ariane is a good looking rocket <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />I have a question, maybe somebody can straighten me out. This one had two satellites. How does the first one get clear so the second one can go? I think they get launched with springs but are there little thrusters so the first one can move off a little before the second, does the second stage point in different directions, or does the transfer stage ignite on the first one before the second one springs out? I never was clear about how those multiple launch things work out.<br /><br />Is the adapter between the first and second satellite space junk now? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Here's some inconclusive information. I'm not sure how the physical mechanism works. May be some kind of spring loading, may be similar to the mechanisms that hold RAM chips to your motherboard. ie, as you unclip the chip, the bottom of the mechanism pushes it up slightly. They don't need to impart much delta-V, so that may be all that's needed.<br /><br />I'll see what I can Google up about it.<br /><br /><br /><i>October 13, 2006<br /><br />Launch day update: Ariane 5 lifts off from Europe's Spaceport<br /><br />Arianespace's fourth multi-payload mission of 2006 has lifted off from the Spaceport in French Guiana.<br /><br />The launcher is carrying the DIRECTV 9S television broadcast satellite for U.S. digital TV service provider DIRECTV, along with the Optus D1 telecommunications spacecraft for Australia's Optus.<br /><br />DIRECTV 9S is to be deployed at approximately 27 minutes into the mission. This will be followed about three minutes later by the jettisoning of the SYLDA 5 multiple payload dispenser system, exposing Optus D1 for its release from Ariane 5 at 32 minutes after liftoff.<br /><br />Optus D1 and DIRECTV 9S are accompanied on the Ariane 5 mission by Japan's LDREX-2 auxiliary payload - which will demonstrate the deployment sequence for a large satellite communications antenna. LDREX-2 is positioned at the base of Ariane 5's payload "stack," and its activation will occur after the separation of the two primary satellites.</i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

From watching the launch, the satellites are released at different times, by springs. IIRC, the first was the Direct TV one, the second was the Optus nearly seven minutes later. During that time, the remining stack, ascending (in free fall) at several km per second reorients itself to spring in a different direction. The third was a minute or two later, and again, the stack reoriented itself in between.<br />So the answer is, they are sprung in different directions, minutes apart. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[bobw]

Thank-you for the clarification about the details of multiple satellite launch technique. The only idea I had in my mind about it was from watching satellites leave the shuttle orbiter payload bay. They seem to go pretty slow and the orbiter always fired its thrusters to get clear. It seemed to me that releasing two within minutes of each other would leave them pretty close together. Thanks, again. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I only knew because I watched the launch. I'm not that knowledgable <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />While they might be close together, as long as they are sprung in different directions at a few meters per second, the separation should be sufficient.<br />In order to transfer from the geotransfer to geostationary (or geosynchronous) orbit, the satellite itself will have to fire it's own booster anyway. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Tonight's apparently the night for the new Optus D1 satellite to come on-stream for NZ Sky TV viewers at least. Zero Hundred hours (NZ Time) should see services transferred from B1 across to D1.<br /><br />However, all is not entirely well with the new bird as it appears the NZ transponders have been incorrectly configured by the satellite's manufacturer, Orbital Sciences Corp. TP1-8 on the NZ Beam are set to Horizontal polarity instead of the Vertical polarity currently used on B1.<br /><br />As the LNB's on Sky dishes are not dual polarity for the most part, this has the potential to create a major headache for all concerned. There is talk already of moving the launch of D2 forward to early 2007 in order to replace D1 at 160E.<br /><br />It will be interesting to see who picks up the tab on this stuff-up. While the initial error seems to lay with Orbital Sciences, I would have expected there were subsequent check-outs by both Ariane and Optus staff which didn't pick it up. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Update/Correction<br /><br />Latest word is that Sky NZ will be migrating services from B1 to D1's dual Aus/NZ Beam, as opposed to the NZ-only Beam originally planned for. The major sticking point is not the standard LNB's on the majority of Sky's dishes, which are in fact dual polarity, but the capabilities of some newer dual LNB's they have been retro-fitting to dishes.<br /><br />The dual LNB's are set to pick up 160E along with 156E as a fall-back position. Part of the rationale for this on-going upgrade to Sky's subscriber hardware was a major outage suffered by B1 earlier this year, resulting in a lengthy LOS for the Pay TV provider. Having the capability to fall-back to services on 156E was seen as a prudent step for the company going forward.<br /><br />However, the dual LNB they are fitting is not dual polarity for 160E. Therefore, the step being taken to ensure Sky TV some redundency has come back to bite them in the face of this problem. Hence, the dual Aus/NZ Beam will be used on D1 until D2 can be launched to replace it.<br /><br />Unexpected potential bonus ... with Sky NZ on the dual beam, you Aussies may be able to pick up their feeds. Almost all are encrypted, but there are a couple of FTA services you might be able to hook into. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

We don't call them Optarse over here for nothing <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

For those still following this debacle ...<br /><br /><br /><font color="yellow">A configuration error on the Optus D1 satellite that means transmissions from its purpose-built New Zealand spot beam cannot be picked up by most Sky TV customers is continuing to cause headaches for broadcasters, despite Sky TV's smooth switch to the new satellite last week.<br /><br />Optus has declined to confirm that members of the Freeview free-to-air consortium, which include Television New Zealand and CanWest, even have a firm contract to use the satellite.<br /><br />And there is speculation that the configuration error may mean Freeview will be unable to use it to launch its digital satellite service next year, though this is flatly denied by Freeview general manager Steve Browning.<br /><br />Sky has conceded it is possible that the transponders on the Australasian beam that Sky TV is now using to replace the capacity it originally booked on the New Zealand-dedicated beam may have to be handed back to other Optus customers and that it may have to again change transponders. This would mean Sky TV could yet have to alter hundreds of thousands of set-top boxes so they can use the beam that was wrongly configured.<br /><br />Sky TV spokesman Tony O'Brien says if it had to switch to the New Zealand beam - which is aligned horizontally rather than vertically - it could change the configurations of Sky dishes simply by downloading new software to customers' set-top boxes. This may not be necessary, and would be the worst situation that might happen, he says.<br /><br />There is unlikely to be an entirely happy ending for all the parties, however. Optus says it is in discussions with US firm Orbital, which built D1. Spokeswoman Simone Bergholcs would not comment on whether legal action was likely in relation to the configuration issue.<br /><br />It is understood that Sky was able to switch broadcasts to D1 from the end-of-life B1 satellite - which is due to run out of fuel some time next year - by ta</font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

And, from that champion of free speech everywhere, ANON, this ...<br /><br /><br /><font color="yellow">Anyway regarding D1 you didn't hear this from me but it's not only the NZ beams that are backwards, it's all transponders on the satellite.<br /><br />It seems that there was a misunderstanding between Optus and Orbital as to the description of H and V pols in that all documentation doesn't use the terms H and V but "A" and "B" pols and they got it backwards.<br /><br />This dosn't affect the Australian beams as the H and V pol transponders are identical and the H just become V and the V becomes H. The only ones that the effect is visible on ,(apart from what Optus call the transponders internally) is of course the beams with NZ coverage.</font><br /><br /><br />I wonder (albeit facetiously) if a search of the employment histories of some of these Orbital and Optus folks will turn up a former involvement with the infamous Metric/Imperial Mars shot. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[nyarlathotep]

I'd also check if any of them were fired from Lockheed after either the Hubble Telescope or Genesis debacles.

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

Maybe this bird could help Optus fix their crappy International Internet links. Send some of their HTTP traffic over it and allow the leeches to use the Southern Cross cable link <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Southern Cross was over-subscribed about 17 minutes after they dragged the near end ashore at Bondi, wasn't it?<br /><br />I'd love to know the terms of the contract Optus has with Orbital Sciences. One suspects after compensation payments and breaks on D2 that bird is going to cost Optus about $9.53, plus Orbital will throw in a nice set of steak knives. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

"Southern Cross was over-subscribed about 17 minutes after they dragged the near end ashore at Bondi, wasn't it? "<br /><br />Nah, My ISP still has plenty of spare capacity on it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[nyarlathotep]

<font color="yellow">Southern Cross was over-subscribed about 17 minutes after they dragged the near end ashore at Bondi, wasn't it?</font><br /><br />Close to the entire 120Gbit capacity of the Southern Cross Cable was subscribed before the cable was completed. The project ended up being profitable months before they lit the fiber. The two circuits have since been upgraded to 480Gbit, and are getting fairly close to capacity with plans to upgrade to 960Gbit some time very soon. <br /><br />Optus' problems however have nothing to do with the cable. They have simply decided not to order extra bandwidth for three months after their circuit reached capacity, fleecing their residential users (me) so that they could pad the next quarters figures.