Sea Launch Initiates Countdown for the Launch of Galaxy 18

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Scott Greczkowski

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Sea Launch Initiates Countdown for the Launch of Galaxy 18

Long Beach, Calif., May 19, 2008 – The Sea Launch team arrived at the launch site in the Equatorial Pacific over the weekend and initiated a 72-hour countdown, in preparation for the launch of Intelsat’s Galaxy 18 satellite on Wednesday, May 21. Liftoff is planned at 2:43am PDT (9:43 GMT), at the opening of a two-hour launch window.

Upon arrival at the launch site, at 154 degrees West Longitude, the team began ballasting operations to bring the platform to launch depth. A final series of tests on the launch system and the spacecraft are now underway. Prior to fueling operations, the platform will be evacuated, with all personnel safely positioned on the ship, four miles from the platform. An hour after liftoff, a Zenit-3SL vehicle will insert the 4,642 kg (10,234 lb) Galaxy 18 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital location of 123 degrees West Longitude.
Built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the 1300-series hybrid spacecraft, carries 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders, to provide advanced television, data and telecommunications services to Intelsat customers in North America, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. This spacecraft is designed for a 15-year service life on orbit. It is the 6th mission Sea Launch will execute for Intelsat and the 7th mission with a spacecraft built by SS/L.
Sea Launch will provide live coverage of the Galaxy 18 mission via satellite and on its website, beginning at 2:30am PDT (9:30 GMT) on May 21. Live streaming video will be posted at: Sea Launch Webcast. Transponder coordinates for downlinking the satellite feed are provided at: Sea Launch Television Broadcast Downlink Information.


About Sea Launch Company
Sea Launch Company, LLC, headquartered 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 also offers launch services for medium weight satellites on the Land Launch system, originating from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan. For additional information and images about the Galaxy 18 mission, please visit the Sea Launch website at: Sea Launch Home Page
 
WOW a satellite launch on my 15 year wedding anniversary. I assume this satellite is going to replace Galaxy 10R? I will be sure to tune in at 5:30AM EST on Galaxy 26.
 
TP info

SATELLITE TRANSMISSION COORDINATES & SCHEDULE:
Transmission Test: 2:00am PDT / 0500 EDT
Live Broadcast Starts: 2:30am PDT / 0530 EDT
Launch Window: 2:43am PDT / 0543 EDT
Live Broadcast Ends: 4:00am PDT / 0700 EDT approx
VNR Playout: 4:15am PDT / 0715 EDT approx
Goodnight: 4:30am PDT / 0730 EDT approx

Satellite: Galaxy 26 Ku band Digital
Transponder: 17 (seventeen) Ku, SLOT A ( 9 MHZ)
Orbital Slot: 93 degrees West Longitude
Downlink Frequency: 12013 MHz Vertical
FEC: 3 / 4
Symbol Rate: 6.1113 4:2:0
Audios: Audio channel 1 / Audio channel 2 = Program Mix ( English)
 
Thanks for the info! I might have to record that launch for posterity, since it is destined to become (IMO) the most important satellite in orbit for Ku FTA :)
 
It should until they change to DVB-S2 :( (We will need new equipment to receive DVB-S2)

yeah but who knows when that will happen? ;)

I remember 3 years ago when Equity put up G3 C-Band and everyone thought "oh crap we'll need C-Band to get them. All our G10 stuff is disappearing"

well its still there :)

They haven't converted G3 C-Band yet to DVB-S2 and I have it on good authority that G3 is going long before G10 will ;)
 
Sea Launch Successfully Delivers Galaxy 18 to Orbit


Long Beach, Calif., May 21, 2008 - Sea Launch Company today successfully delivered the Galaxy 18 communications satellite to orbit from its ocean-based platform on the Equator, marking its third successful launch in 2008.

A Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off at 2:43am PDT (9:43 GMT) from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude, precisely on schedule. An hour later, the Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 4,642 kg (10,234 lb) Galaxy 18 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position at 123 degrees West Longitude. Operators at the Hartebeesthoek ground station in South Africa acquired the spacecraft’s first signals from orbit shortly after spacecraft separation. All systems performed nominally throughout the mission.

“Congratulations to Intelsat on today’s successful mission,” said Rob Peckham, president and general manager of Sea Launch. “This is our sixth successful launch for Intelsat. We’re extremely proud to be a part of your achievements and we look forward to launching your next satellite in the near future. This is the seventh mission with a Loral spacecraft and it’s always a pleasure working with your team. Thanks to everyone involved in today’s accomplishment, especially the people of Sea Launch and our partners, contractors and families around the world who support us.”
Built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), Galaxy 18 will provide advanced television, data and telecommunications services to Intelsat’s customers throughout North America, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
“I would like to thank Sea Launch for doing a great job with today’s mission,” said Thierry Guillemin, Intelsat’s Senior Vice President and Chief Technical Officer. “I also want to recognize and thank the teams at Space Systems/Loral and Intelsat for their continued hard work and dedication. Galaxy 18 is the 42nd satellite built by Space Systems/Loral for Intelsat. It is joining five other Galaxy spacecraft with key roles in the North American cable arc, which deliver some of the most popular programming to millions of American homes.”
 
Apparently, G-10R is having issues and needs to be decommissioned sooner rather than later. That would account for G-17 being moved there temporarily, even as G-18 is being launched. Or perhaps they wanted a backup plan ready just in case the G-18 launch had failed.
 
Anole, that is just not funny after this week and hoping this does not add to my problems. ;)

The replacement of G-10R by G-17 should be practically transparent, barring any problems with the uplink. Satellites play musical chairs all the time, and we usually don't even know it when they do.
 
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