Sea Launch Targets June 23 Flight of Intelsat Americas-8

LONG BEACH, Calif., June 16, 2005/Satnews Daily/ — The Odyssey Launch Platform and the Sea Launch Commander have departed Sea Launch Home Port for Sea Launch's third mission of the year. The Sea Launch team is preparing to launch the Intelsat Americas-8 (IA-8) tri-band communications satellite, on June 23, at the opening of a two-hour launch window, at 5:58:00 am PDT (12:58:00 GMT).

The Sea Launch vessels are en route from Long Beach, Calif., to the launch site at 154 degrees West Longitude. Upon arrival, the launch team will initiate a 72-hour countdown, ballasting the Launch Platform to launch depth, and performing final tests on the launch system and the spacecraft. A Zenit-3SL vehicle 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.

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 System/Loral's 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 28th satellite in Intelsat's global fleet. This mission is Sea Launch's fifth launch for Loral and the first for Intelsat.

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