BERN, Switzerland, April 18, 2012 – The spacecraft for the Intelsat-19 mission contracted for launch by Sea Launch AG has been delivered on April 17th to the “Home Port” launch complex in Long Beach, California.
The Intelsat 19 communications satellite departed from the satellite manufacturer – Space Systems Loral’s facility in Palo Alto, California on April 17, and began its half-day transit. It arrived via surface roads on an oversized transport vehicle with representatives from Intelsat; Space Systems Loral, the satellite provider; and Energia Logistics Ltd., Sea Launch AG’s prime contractor, on hand to receive the spacecraft and its associated support equipment.
Following unloading, the satellite and equipment were delivered to the clean room of the Payload Processing Facility within the 16 acre facility, where mission operations and integration efforts are now underway. The launch of the Intelsat 19 satellite is scheduled for the late May timeframe.
Intelsat 19 will be located at 166° East longitude as part of Intelsat’s on-going fleet investment program. It replaces Intelsat 8, a leading video neighborhood providing distribution to cable head ends across the Asia-Pacific region and reaching more than 37 million pay-tv subscribers around the Pacific Rim.
About Sea Launch AG
Sea Launch AG, headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, provides strategic end–to–end launch solutions to the industry’s satellite operator community based on the venerable Zenit launch system. These services include the provision of all–inclusive launch services as well as schedule assurance, financing, risk management; insurance and creative contracting solutions to meet the changing demands of the commercial launch market. Sea Launch AG owns and manages the primary technology, patent and other intellectual property and tangible assets of the company. These include the launch platform Odyssey and the Sea Launch Commander vessels located in the Home Port facility in Long Beach, California, and the unique know–how associated with launching satellites from an ocean–based launch platform located directly on the equator. Sea Launch AG contracts directly and exclusively with Energia Logistics Ltd. as its technical partner for the delivery and execution of Sea Launch Zenit–3SL launch services. The Sea Launch system offers the most direct and cost-effective route to geostationary orbit for commercial communications satellites, providing diversity of supply, affordability and flexibility for the industry’s satellite operators. For more information, please visit the Sea Launch website at: www.sea-launch.com.
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Contact: Peter Stier, +41 31 380 00 08, peter.g.stier@sea-launch.ch