Sea Launch delivers PAS-9 satellite to orbit

Sea Launch, the multinational, ocean-based launch services company, returned to flight operations today with a perfect launch of the PAS-9 satellite.

From the equatorial launch site at 154 degrees West Longitude, the Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off from the Odyssey Launch Platform at 6:42 p.m. PDT (2242 GMT) and soared into space. All systems performed nominally during flight. The 8,067-pound PAS-9 satellite was successfully delivered to geostationary transfer orbit about one hour and 45 minutes after liftoff. Hughes Space and Communications built the 601-HP model spacecraft for PanAmSat.

Following liftoff, the Russian and Ukrainian rocket rose from the Odyssey and headed downrange to the east, before disappearing from view on its ascent to geostationary transfer orbit. Sea Launch mission control, and flight and ground data, indicated that all systems onboard the three-stage rocket performed nominally. The Block DM upper stage separated from the satellite at one hour and 10 minutes into the flight. PanAmSat acquired a signal from the satellite 25 minutes later from a ground station in Sydney, Australia.

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.
• SDO 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.