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January 7th, 2014

Sea Launch's Zenit-2S' Hardware Has Its Sea Legs...Passes Review (Launch Vehicle Test)


[SeaLaunch] ...tested vehicle and found that all required acceptance test values were within specification. 

Sea Launch AG, through Energia Logistics Ltd., has conducted a Hardware Acceptance Review of the Zenit-2S launch vehicle to be utilized in support of the EUTELSAT 3B mission.  A team of specialists from the Chief System Engineer’s Office at Energia Logistics Ltd., together with specialists from RSC Energia, reviewed all of the acceptance data for the Zenit-2S #SL 37 vehicle and found that all required acceptance test values were within specification. 

The Ocean Force sea-based transport vessel carrying the Zenit-2S launch vehicle designated for EUTELSAT 3B departed the port at Oktyabrsky, Ukraine on December 23rd, 2013 and is scheduled to arrive pier-side at Sea Launch’s Home Port facility in Long Beach, California on February 16th, 2014.  The mission’s Block DM-SL upper stages and an undesignated mission’s upper stage provided by RSC Energia will also be included in the shipment to Home Port.  The Payload Accommodations, provided by Boeing Commercial Space Company, is scheduled to arrive on February 12th. The EUTELSAT 3B satellite is planned for launch in April 2014.


EUTELSAT 3B

Built by Astrium, and based on the Eurostar E3000 platform, EUTELSAT 3B will have a launch mass of approximately 5,967 kilograms (13,155 lbs.) and electrical power of 12 kW. It is expected to arrive at the Sea Launch facility in mid-February in preparation for the start of standalone and combined spacecraft operations.

From its 3 degrees E location in geostationary orbit, Eutelsat 3B will operate 51 transponders in C-, Ku- and Ka-bands to provide video, data, telecoms and broadband services across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South America, notably Brazil.

The satellite’s 10 antennas will enable Eutelsat to provide fixed widebeams and steerable spotbeams to regional and national markets with maximum flexibility in the three frequency bands, as well as scalable allocation of power and spectrum per beam in Ka-band.

Based on Astrium’s highly reliable Eurostar E3000 platform, Eutelsat 3B will have a launch mass of six tones and electrical power of 12 kW. It is designed to deliver more than 15 years of in-orbit operation.
This order from Eutelsat follows on from the successful entry into commercial service of the Astrium-built KA-SAT – the first High-Throughput Satellite fully optimized for broadband access in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin.

Sea Launch AG provides launch solutions to the industry’s satellite operator community based on the Zenit launch system. These services include the provision of all–inclusive launch services incorporating schedule assurance, financing, risk management; insurance and creative contracting solutions to meet the changing demands of the commercial launch market. Sea Launch owns or manages through affiliate agreements the primary technology, patent and other intellectual property and tangible assets required to perform its launch services business. These include the highly specialized vessels Odyssey Launch Platform and the Sea Launch Commander each located in the Home Port facility in Long Beach, California, as well as the unique know–how associated with launching satellites from an ocean–based launch platform located directly on the equator. The Sea Launch system offers the most direct and cost-effective route to geostationary orbit for commercial communications satellites, providing diversity of supply, affordability and flexibility for the industry's satellite operators. For more information, please visit the Sea Launch website.