Jacques van Oene
June 21st 05, 04:27 PM
Sea Launch Begins Countdown for Intelsat AmericasT-8 Launch
LONG BEACH, Calif., June 20, 2005 - The Sea Launch team has initiated a
72-hour countdown in preparation for the launch of the Intelsat AmericasT-8
(IA-8) satellite on Thursday, June 23, at the opening of a two-hour launch
window at 5:58:00 am PDT (12:58:00 GMT). All systems are proceeding on
schedule.
With launch site operations now underway at 154 degrees West Longitude on
the Equator, the Odyssey Launch Platform is ballasted to its launch depth
and stationed alongside the Sea Launch Commander (Assembly and Command
Ship), periodically connected by a link-bridge that enables foot traffic
between the two vessels.
A Zenit-3SL rocket will be rolled out of its environmentally protected
hangar and automatically erected on the launch pad at L-27 hours. The
platform will be evacuated, with all personnel safely stationed on the ship,
three miles uprange from the platform, for the remainder of launch
operations. On launch day, the rocket will lift the 5,500 kg (12,125 lbs.)
IA-8 satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), on its way to a final
orbital position of 89 degrees West Longitude.
This will be Sea Launch's fifth launch for Loral and the first for Intelsat.
The Space Systems/Loral-built IA-8 satellite is designed to provide expanded
coverage over the Americas, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Alaska during its
15-year service life. IA-8 will host voice, video and data transmission and
distribution services. It carries 28 C-band and 36 Ku-band transponders, as
well as 24 Ka-band spot beams. Built on Space Systems/Loral's highly
reliable 1300 bus, the spacecraft is one of the most powerful satellites
ever built, with total end-of-life power of 16 Kw. IA-8 will be the fifth
Intelsat satellite in the North American arc and the 28 th satellite in
Intelsat's global fleet.
Sea Launch will carry a live satellite feed and streaming video of the
entire mission, beginning at 5:30 am PDT (12:30 GMT). Transponder
coordinates for downlink will be posted at:
www.boeing.com/nosearch/sealaunch/broadcast.html. A simultaneous webcast may
be accessed at: www.sea-launch.com/current_index_webcast.html
Sea Launch Company, LLC, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., and marketed
through Boeing Launch Services ( www.boeing.com/launch ), is the world's
most reliable commercial launch services provider. With the advantage of a
launch site on the Equator, the proven Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier
spacecraft mass or provide longer life on orbit, yielding best value plus
schedule assurance. Sea Launch offers the most direct and cost-effective
route to geostationary orbit. For additional information, please visit the
Sea Launch website at: www.sea-launch.com
###
Contact:
Paula Korn
562.499.4729 or 562.254.5684 (mobile)
During the mission, press may contact our News Center : 562.951.7088 or
562.951.7388
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
LONG BEACH, Calif., June 20, 2005 - The Sea Launch team has initiated a
72-hour countdown in preparation for the launch of the Intelsat AmericasT-8
(IA-8) satellite on Thursday, June 23, at the opening of a two-hour launch
window at 5:58:00 am PDT (12:58:00 GMT). All systems are proceeding on
schedule.
With launch site operations now underway at 154 degrees West Longitude on
the Equator, the Odyssey Launch Platform is ballasted to its launch depth
and stationed alongside the Sea Launch Commander (Assembly and Command
Ship), periodically connected by a link-bridge that enables foot traffic
between the two vessels.
A Zenit-3SL rocket will be rolled out of its environmentally protected
hangar and automatically erected on the launch pad at L-27 hours. The
platform will be evacuated, with all personnel safely stationed on the ship,
three miles uprange from the platform, for the remainder of launch
operations. On launch day, the rocket will lift the 5,500 kg (12,125 lbs.)
IA-8 satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), on its way to a final
orbital position of 89 degrees West Longitude.
This will be Sea Launch's fifth launch for Loral and the first for Intelsat.
The Space Systems/Loral-built IA-8 satellite is designed to provide expanded
coverage over the Americas, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Alaska during its
15-year service life. IA-8 will host voice, video and data transmission and
distribution services. It carries 28 C-band and 36 Ku-band transponders, as
well as 24 Ka-band spot beams. Built on Space Systems/Loral's highly
reliable 1300 bus, the spacecraft is one of the most powerful satellites
ever built, with total end-of-life power of 16 Kw. IA-8 will be the fifth
Intelsat satellite in the North American arc and the 28 th satellite in
Intelsat's global fleet.
Sea Launch will carry a live satellite feed and streaming video of the
entire mission, beginning at 5:30 am PDT (12:30 GMT). Transponder
coordinates for downlink will be posted at:
www.boeing.com/nosearch/sealaunch/broadcast.html. A simultaneous webcast may
be accessed at: www.sea-launch.com/current_index_webcast.html
Sea Launch Company, LLC, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., and marketed
through Boeing Launch Services ( www.boeing.com/launch ), is the world's
most reliable commercial launch services provider. With the advantage of a
launch site on the Equator, the proven Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier
spacecraft mass or provide longer life on orbit, yielding best value plus
schedule assurance. Sea Launch offers the most direct and cost-effective
route to geostationary orbit. For additional information, please visit the
Sea Launch website at: www.sea-launch.com
###
Contact:
Paula Korn
562.499.4729 or 562.254.5684 (mobile)
During the mission, press may contact our News Center : 562.951.7088 or
562.951.7388
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info