Posted: Mon, Apr 28, 2008, 2:08 PM ET (1808 GMT)
The first mission for the Land Launch commercial venture successfully placed an Israeli communications satellite into orbit early Monday. The Zenit-3SLB lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1 am EDT (0500 GMT) and placed the Amos-3 satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The launch had been previously planned for Thursday but was postponed at the last minute because of a problem with ground equipment. The satellite, built by Israel Aerospace Industries, weighs 1,270 kg at launch and carries a set of Ku- and Ka-band transponders. The satellite, owned by Israeli satellite operator Spacecom, will be located at 4 degrees west in GEO to serve customers in Europe, the Middle East, and the eastern US. The launch was the first for Land Launch, a joint venture between Sea Launch Company and Russian firm Space International Services. Land Launch used a modified version of Sea Launch's Zenit-3SL launched from Baikonur and is designed to serve the market for smaller GEO satellites.

Related Links:

•  Space News article (subscription required)
•  Jerusalem Post article
•  Ha'aretz article
•  RIA Novosti article
•  Spacecom press release