Posted: Fri, Aug 8, 2003, 8:38 AM ET (1238 GMT)
A Sea Launch booster successfully launched a dual-use communications satellite late Thursday. The Zenit 3SL lifted off from the Odyssey floating launch platform in the Pacific Ocean at 11:31 pm EDT Thursday (0331 GMT Friday); its satellite payload separated from the upper stage 66 minutes after entering geostationary transfer orbit. The Space Systems/Loral 1300-series satellite, known as both EchoStar 9 and Telstar 13, is jointly owned by EchoStar and Loral. EchoStar will use the Ku-band transponders on the spacecraft to provide additional DTH television services, and use the Ka-band transponders, the first commercial use of Ka-band in the US, for high-speed data services. Loral owns the C-band transponders on the spacecraft, but announced last month it would sell them, as well as several other satellites, to Intelsat. The launch is the second this year for Sea Launch and the tenth in the program's history. Sea Launch hopes to conduct two more launches this year.

Related Links:

•  SPACE.com article
•  Interfax article
•  Boeing press release
•  Spaceflight Now launch status center