spacetoday.net: Intelsat switches two satellites to Arianespace

Posted: Wed, Apr 4, 2007, 7:49 AM ET (1149 GMT)
Ariane 5 prior to Flight 165 launch (Arianespace)

Satellite operator Intelsat has moved the planned launch of two communications satellites from Land Launch to Arianespace to ensure that the spacecraft get into orbit this year. Intelsat will launch the Intelsat 11 (formerly PAS-11) and Horizons 2 spacecraft, both small spacecraft being built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, in the third quarter of this year on an Ariane 5. The two spacecraft were previously planned to be launched separately by Land Launch on Zenit-3SLB rockets. However, those launches have been delayed by the failure of a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL in January. Sea Launch said in a statement Tuesday that the investigation into the failure is ongoing, as well as repairs to the mobile launch platform that suffered some damage in the launch failure, and that they planned to resume Zenit-3SL launches by October. No date for the first Land Launch mission, which had been scheduled for later this year, was given.