From the Equator, A New Satellite Rises
1,500 miles south of Hawaii, from a converted oil rig, over a vast, dark Pacific Ocean. Suddenly, a huge Ukrainian rocket launches a multi-million dollar spacecraft built by Space Systems/Loral.
The report, via the AP and SignOnSanDeigo.com:
A Zenit-3SL rocket carrying the Galaxy 19 satellite blasted off at 2:28 a.m. PDT and spacecraft separation occurred just over an hour later after reaching orbit, the company said in a Webcast of the launch.
“It’s what we call a very boring launch, which is very good,” said Kjell Karlsen, Sea Launch president and general manager. “It was right on target.”
The satellite is intended to serve Intelsat customers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Sea Launch is a partnership of Chicago-based Boeing Co., RSC-Energia of Russia, Aker ASA of Norway and SDO Yuzhnoye/PO Yuzhmash of Ukraine.
Here’s the video…
