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LONG BEACH, Calif: Sea Launch successfully launched the Thuraya-3 mobile communications satellite today with a perfect flight of the Zenit-3SL vehicle. The achievement marked Sea Launch's 25th mission, since the international team began operations with its first launch in 1999.
Lifting off at 3:49am Pacific Time (11:49 GMT) from the Odyssey Launch Platform at 154 degrees West Longitude, the Zenit-3SL rocket placed the 5,173 kg (11,381 lb) Thuraya-3 satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. Spacecraft separation occurred 99 minutes after liftoff, at 1,388 miles above the Pacific Ocean, north of New Zealand. A tracking station in Fillmore, California, acquired the first signal from the spacecraft a few minutes later, as planned. All systems performed nominally throughout the flight.
“Congratulations to Thuraya on the tremendous success of this mission,” said Rob Peckham, president and general manager of Sea Launch. “I also want to congratulate Boeing and thank the entire Sea Launch team and all the people around the world who support us.
“We are proud to be supporting Thuraya's expansion into the Asia-Pacific market with the launch of Thuraya-3. We especially appreciate Thuraya's continued trust and confidence in our launch team and we look forward to future opportunities to support the growth of their business,” Peckham said.
Boeing built the GEO-Mobile (GEM) spacecraft in El Segundo, Calif., for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company, based in the United Arab Emirates, to provide a range of mobile voice and data services over large geographic regions. Thuraya, the world's largest provider of handheld mobile satellite services, is preparing to operate commercially in Asia-Pacific markets when Thuraya-3 becomes operational. With a designed lifetime of 12.5 years, the satellite will be positioned in Geosynchronous Orbit, 35,786 km (22,236 miles) above the Earth, at 98.5 degrees East Longitude.
Sea Launch Company, LLC, based in Long Beach, Calif., offers the most direct and cost-effective route to geostationary orbit for commercial communications satellites. With the advantage of a launch site on the Equator, the robust Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier mass or provide longer life on orbit, offering best value plus optimized spacecraft orbital delivery.
Sea Launch Company
