Sea Launch Signs Agreement with EchoStar
July 22, 2010
Sea Launch Company, has signed an agreement with a subsidiary
of EchoStar Satellite Services L.C.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar
Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS), providing EchoStar with the ability to launch up to
three satellites on the Sea Launch system.
Sea Launch expects to launch the satellites using the
reliable Zenit-3SL launch vehicle from its equatorial launch site at 154 degrees
West Longitude, in international waters of the Pacific
Ocean. Sea Launch has successfully launched previous EchoStar
satellites, including EchoStar IX in 2003.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to launch new
spacecraft for EchoStar,” said Kjell Karlsen, president and general manager of
Sea Launch. “This new agreement reinforces our long-term relationship with
EchoStar.”
“EchoStar is pleased to
have completed successful launches with Sea Launch in the past, which give us
confidence in Sea Launch’s ability to execute on future launches,” said Dean
Olmstead, president of EchoStar Satellite Services. “The Sea Launch Zenit-3SL
vehicle has been a reliable, flight-proven launch system and we look forward to
continued success.”
This is one of several new launch agreements that Sea Launch
has signed recently, building a healthy manifest as the company moves forward
toward successfully exiting Chapter 11 in the third quarter of 2010. On May 10,
2010, Sea Launch filed its Plan of Reorganization and Disclosure Statement. Sea
Launch anticipates court confirmation of its Plan of Reorganization at a hearing
in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, scheduled for
July 27, 2010.
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