http://www.sea-launch.com/current_index_webcast.html
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/echostar10/status.html
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2006
Sea Launch's first mission of 2006 is set to fly Wednesday from the waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean with a direct-to-home broadcast satellite designed to beam television programming to millions of customers across the United States.
Liftoff of the Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket with EchoStar 10 on-board is timed for 2335 GMT (6:35 p.m. EST) from the Odyssey launch platform positioned in the central Pacific Ocean along the Equator at 154 degrees West longitude. The available launch window extends for 49 minutes.
The Sea Launch fleet reached the launch site over the weekend after steaming for more than a week from the company's home port in Long Beach, California. The ocean-going launch pad known as Odyssey set sail first, followed a few days later by the departure of the Sea Launch Commander vessel, which houses the management, official guests and launch control center.
Odyssey's ballast tanks were filled with seawater upon arrival, dropping the converted Norwegian oil-drilling platform to the launch depth of 65 feet. Control teams also commenced the standard 72-hour countdown. The Sea Launch Commander then pulled alongside Odyssey to allow workers to easily transfer between the two ships. The Zenit 3SL rocket was rolled out from its transport hangar aboard Odyssey and erected on the launch pedestal as the countdown reached the 27-hour mark.
The three-stage Zenit booster - on its 19th flight in this configuration - will take just over an hour to complete its role to deliver the EchoStar 10 payload into a planned orbit with a low point of 1,050 miles and a high point of about 22,300 miles. The injection orbit's inclination will be zero degrees.
Over the next few weeks, EchoStar 10 will use its propulsion system to gradually raise its orbit to geostationary altitude, where its velocity will match that of Earth's rotation. The satellite will be positioned along the Equator at 110 degrees West longitude, or about 22,300 miles high above the eastern Pacific. At that slot, EchoStar 10 will be co-located with EchoStar 6 and EchoStar 8.
EchoStar 10 will take advantage of its unique vantage point to provide broadcasting services directly to the living rooms and offices of over 12 million customers throughout the United States. Joining nine other satellites, the newest addition to the EchoStar fleet will be adding further redundancy to existing craft while working to expand product offerings in EchoStar Communications' DISH Network service.
Built by Lockheed Martin, EchoStar 10 has a guaranteed lifetime of up to 15 years in space. The 9,532-pound spacecraft features a Ku-band communications payload that can reach households across the United States.
Controllers will spend the final hours of Wednesday's launch countdown to make final preparations to the rocket, payload and ground infrastructure. The Sea Launch Commander will pull away from the launch platform to a safe viewing distance about three miles away.
Fueling operations will get underway about two-and-a-half hours prior to the scheduled launch time. A mix of refined kerosene and liquid oxygen comprise the propellant used by all three stages of the launch vehicle.
After liftoff, the Zenit 3SL will fly downrange on a due east trajectory hugging the Equator. The first stage's Ukrainian four-chamber RD-171 engine ramps up to a maximum of 1.6 million pounds of thrust during its burn lasting two minutes, 29 seconds. After first stage separation, the second stage's RD-120 powerplant will come to life at an altitude of approximately 45 miles. During the second stage firing, the payload fairing shielding the EchoStar 10 satellite during the flight through the denser lower atmosphere will be jettisoned.
Eight minutes, 19 seconds after blastoff is the point when the second stage will separate from the Block-DM upper stage and payload. Ten seconds later, the Block-DM will ignite for a five-minute burn to place itself in a temporary parking orbit. After an extended coast phase, the stage will fire again to inject EchoStar 10 into its targeted geostationary transfer orbit. Spacecraft separation is expected just over an hour after liftoff. Acquisition of signal from EchoStar 10 should occur about a half-hour later.
Check this page during the launch for live updates on the progress of the mission.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/echostar10/status.html
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2006
Sea Launch's first mission of 2006 is set to fly Wednesday from the waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean with a direct-to-home broadcast satellite designed to beam television programming to millions of customers across the United States.
Liftoff of the Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket with EchoStar 10 on-board is timed for 2335 GMT (6:35 p.m. EST) from the Odyssey launch platform positioned in the central Pacific Ocean along the Equator at 154 degrees West longitude. The available launch window extends for 49 minutes.
The Sea Launch fleet reached the launch site over the weekend after steaming for more than a week from the company's home port in Long Beach, California. The ocean-going launch pad known as Odyssey set sail first, followed a few days later by the departure of the Sea Launch Commander vessel, which houses the management, official guests and launch control center.
Odyssey's ballast tanks were filled with seawater upon arrival, dropping the converted Norwegian oil-drilling platform to the launch depth of 65 feet. Control teams also commenced the standard 72-hour countdown. The Sea Launch Commander then pulled alongside Odyssey to allow workers to easily transfer between the two ships. The Zenit 3SL rocket was rolled out from its transport hangar aboard Odyssey and erected on the launch pedestal as the countdown reached the 27-hour mark.
The three-stage Zenit booster - on its 19th flight in this configuration - will take just over an hour to complete its role to deliver the EchoStar 10 payload into a planned orbit with a low point of 1,050 miles and a high point of about 22,300 miles. The injection orbit's inclination will be zero degrees.
Over the next few weeks, EchoStar 10 will use its propulsion system to gradually raise its orbit to geostationary altitude, where its velocity will match that of Earth's rotation. The satellite will be positioned along the Equator at 110 degrees West longitude, or about 22,300 miles high above the eastern Pacific. At that slot, EchoStar 10 will be co-located with EchoStar 6 and EchoStar 8.
EchoStar 10 will take advantage of its unique vantage point to provide broadcasting services directly to the living rooms and offices of over 12 million customers throughout the United States. Joining nine other satellites, the newest addition to the EchoStar fleet will be adding further redundancy to existing craft while working to expand product offerings in EchoStar Communications' DISH Network service.
Built by Lockheed Martin, EchoStar 10 has a guaranteed lifetime of up to 15 years in space. The 9,532-pound spacecraft features a Ku-band communications payload that can reach households across the United States.
Controllers will spend the final hours of Wednesday's launch countdown to make final preparations to the rocket, payload and ground infrastructure. The Sea Launch Commander will pull away from the launch platform to a safe viewing distance about three miles away.
Fueling operations will get underway about two-and-a-half hours prior to the scheduled launch time. A mix of refined kerosene and liquid oxygen comprise the propellant used by all three stages of the launch vehicle.
After liftoff, the Zenit 3SL will fly downrange on a due east trajectory hugging the Equator. The first stage's Ukrainian four-chamber RD-171 engine ramps up to a maximum of 1.6 million pounds of thrust during its burn lasting two minutes, 29 seconds. After first stage separation, the second stage's RD-120 powerplant will come to life at an altitude of approximately 45 miles. During the second stage firing, the payload fairing shielding the EchoStar 10 satellite during the flight through the denser lower atmosphere will be jettisoned.
Eight minutes, 19 seconds after blastoff is the point when the second stage will separate from the Block-DM upper stage and payload. Ten seconds later, the Block-DM will ignite for a five-minute burn to place itself in a temporary parking orbit. After an extended coast phase, the stage will fire again to inject EchoStar 10 into its targeted geostationary transfer orbit. Spacecraft separation is expected just over an hour after liftoff. Acquisition of signal from EchoStar 10 should occur about a half-hour later.
Check this page during the launch for live updates on the progress of the mission.
