Preparations under way for Sunday’s ICO Sea Launch mission

The Sea Launch Commander and the Odyssey Launch Platform arrived at its equatorial Pacific Ocean launch site at 154 West Longitude at 4 a.m. Thursday. The launch team is preparing for the launch on Sunday.

For this second commercial launch, Sea Launch will lift the ICO F-1 satellite into medium Earth orbit at 6,452 miles.

Launch is scheduled for 10:49 AM EST (1549 GMT). The launch window is open for five seconds.

Click here for complete launch details.

Sea Launch, an international joint venture, was formed in response to increased market demand for a more affordable and reliable commercial satellite launch service. Sea Launch combines proven launch systems with marine-based operations to provide heavy-lift launch services for commercial customers around the globe. With 19 launches sold to date, the Sea Launch partnership combines the best in aerospace and marine technologies and is committed to providing superior value hardware and services.

The partnership

Sea Launch partners and their operational contributions are:

• Boeing Commercial Space Company, providing the payload fairing, analytical and physical spacecraft integration and mission operations.
• RSC Energia, providing the Block DM-SL third stage, launch vehicle integration and mission operations.
• KB Yuzhnoye/PO Yuzhmash, providing the first two Zenit- 3SL stages, launch vehicle integration support and mission operations.
• Anglo-Norwegian Kvaerner Group, providing operational services of the launch platform Odyssey and assembly and command ship, Sea Launch Commander.