spacetoday.net: Sea Launch launches first satellite in over two years

Posted: Sun, Sep 25, 2011, 10:26 AM ET (1426 GMT)
Zenit 3SL launch of XM-4 (Sea Launch)

A Zenit-3SL successfully launched a communications satellite Saturday on the first mission for the Sea Launch company since it completed bankruptcy reorganization. The Zenit-3SL lifted off at 4:18 pm EDT (2018 GMT) Saturday from Sea Launch's mobile launch platform on the Equator at 154 degrees west in the Pacific Ocean. It released its payload, the Atlantic Bird 7 satellite for Eutelsat, into geosynchronous transfer orbit 67 minutes later. The satellite, an Astrium Eurostar 3000 model weighing 4,600 kilograms at launch, will be located at 7 degrees west in GEO. It will use its 56 Ku-band transponders to provide direct-to-home television and other communications services for portions of the Middle East and Africa. The launch was the first for Sea Launch since the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2009. The company reorganized last year, with RSC Energia taking a majority stake in the restructured company.