Although the launch was successful, as they do test runs on the new GOES-17 weather satellite, it seems that all is not well. Apparently the cooling system is not functioning as it should so nearly all of its 16 infrared channels used at night are not working properly. Although those channels are used at night to view the darkened earth, the satellite itself remains in daylight. There are currently lots of engineers trying to figure out a solution. Full article is here: https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/23/noaas-new-goes-17-weather-satellite-has-degraded-vision-at-night/
But that brings to mind an odd question. This is in a high geosynchronous orbit. Everyone knows that the space shuttle couldn't reach that altitude (24,000 miles) to do any satellite maintenance, but once the Falcon 9 is man-rated, would such a thing the technically possible? Sure it would wildly expensive, but SpaceX is talking about $90 million launches and for a satellite that costs hundreds of millions already, that might be something to be considered. I doubt it in this case, but it just got me thinking. Would such a thing be possible? Does Falcon 9 (or even Falcon Heavy, but a man rated Falcon Heavy is a long way off) has more capability, altitude-wise, to make geosynchronous maintenance possible?
But that brings to mind an odd question. This is in a high geosynchronous orbit. Everyone knows that the space shuttle couldn't reach that altitude (24,000 miles) to do any satellite maintenance, but once the Falcon 9 is man-rated, would such a thing the technically possible? Sure it would wildly expensive, but SpaceX is talking about $90 million launches and for a satellite that costs hundreds of millions already, that might be something to be considered. I doubt it in this case, but it just got me thinking. Would such a thing be possible? Does Falcon 9 (or even Falcon Heavy, but a man rated Falcon Heavy is a long way off) has more capability, altitude-wise, to make geosynchronous maintenance possible?
