On Sunday, November 17, 2024, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A, carrying the Australian Optus-X satellite, also referred to as TD-7. Liftoff took place at 22:29 UTC. Two and a half minutes later, stage separation occurred, and the second stage began its burn. The second stage released the payload on a Geostationary Transfer Orbit. From there, the satellite will proceed on its own to a geostationary orbit.
Meanwhile, the first stage booster, which for this mission was B1077.16, landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship. The booster previously supported 15 missions, including Crew-5, Cargo Dragon CRS-28, Cygnus NG-20, and nine Starlink launches. The fairing halves were also recovered, being fished out of the water by the support ship Doug. This was the 116th launch SpaceX conducted this year. At the request of the customer, the webcast ended after booster landing, and did not show payload separation.
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A mysterious payload
Not much is known about what Optus-X is or does. Optus is an Australian telecommunications company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singaporean company Singtel. Optus manages a fleet of geostationary communications satellites, currently composed of Optus B3, C1, D1, D2, D3, and 10. They are all stationed between 152° E and 164° E, covering Australia and New Zealand. In addition to carrying civilian traffic, Optus C1 also deals with military communications.
It is known that Northrop Grumman built the satellite. According to an FCC document, the satellite will be stationed at 87.75° E, a significantly different location from the rest of the Optus fleet. The document also mentions that the satellite will “provide capacity”. This means it most likely is a communications satellite, like the rest of the Optus fleet.
Optus currently has another satellite in the pipeline, Optus 11, which is planned to become available in 2027. This satellite is being manufactured by Airbus, and it’s suffering production delays. The launch, which is set to use an Ariane 6, was originally planned for 2025.
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Ongoing satellite replacements
The Optus D2 satellite is expected to reach the end of its useful life in May 2025. Optus 11 was meant to replace it, but the abovementioned delays will make that impossible. Optus D3, a similar satellite launched two years later, is slated to have its life extended by Northrop Grumman’s MRV. The Mission Robotic Vehicle has been contracted to install a Mission Extension Package (MEP) on Optus D3. The MEP will augment the propulsion capabilities of the existing satellite, postponing its retirement date.
Launch of the MRV was originally planned for spring 2024, with servicing of Optus D3 planned for 2025. However, Northrop Grumman is still working on the first MRV, having just received the robotic arms that will install the MEPs. Launch is currently planned for 2026.
Another satellite due for replacement is ST-2. This satellite is owned by Optus’ parent company, Singtel, and orbits at the same 88° E spot where Optus-X appears to be headed. Still, Singtel documents only mention that it will be replaced by 2028, making it much less urgent than the other Optus satellites.
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More satellites
Another piece of information comes from the Australian Space Agency, that in September issued an Overseas Payload Permit to Optus C1 Satellite Pty Ltd for the launch of ADS-01. ADS-01 is a geostationary communications satellite that will conduct in-band testing for the Australian Defence Force. Even less is publically known about this satellite. It’s been speculated that this satellite and Optus-X are the same, but there is nothing that directly suggests that.
One more plausible speculation is that Optus-X is a communications satellite quickly prepared by Northrop Grumman to serve as a stopgap to Optus 11. Still, the 88° E longitude makes this an inexhaustive explanation.
*Cover image credits: SpaceX
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