The Boeing-led Sea Launch company successfully fired a Zenit 3SL booster on 28 July, carrying the Hughes HS 601HP satellite, PanAmSat 9 into geostationary transfer orbit.
The launch was the third successful flight of the vehicle, two of which were commercial missions. The preceding commercial flight was a failure.
The 3,659kg (1,661lb) PAS 9 will be located at 59íW in geostationary orbit, providing the privately-owned PanAmSat's Atlantic region customers with telecommunications services from 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders. PAS 9 is PanAmSat's 21st satellite covering the Latin American and Atlantic regions.
- Lockheed Martin says that the successful launch of the competing Atlas IIIA booster with the new Russian-based RD-180 first stage engine has eliminated 80% of the risk from testing the succeeding Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, which is based on the Atlas III design.
Source: Flight International
