Sea Launch
Successfully Delivers
the EUTELSAT 70B Spacecraft
into Orbit
December 3, 2012
Sea Launch
AG has successfully
launched the
EUTELSAT-70B satellite from
the Equator on the ocean-based
Launch Platform
Odyssey, completing
its 2nd mission for Eutelsat and
marking the completion of Sea
Launch’s third and final mission in 2012.
The Zenit-3SL
rocket carrying
the spacecraft lifted
off at 12:43:59 Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Monday, December
3rd (20:43:59 UTC/GMT, 21:43:59 CET) from the launch
platform, positioned
at 154 degrees West
longitude in the Pacific
Ocean. One hour and six minutes later,
the Block DM-SL upper
stage inserted
the satellite, weighing
5,210 kilograms (11,485 lbs.) and built by Astrium, an EADS
company, into geosynchronous transfer orbit,
on its way to a final
orbital position at 70.5
degrees East longitude. Eutelsat acquired
the spacecraft’s first signals
from orbit shortly
after spacecraft separation.
All systems performed
nominally throughout
the launch mission.
Following acquisition
of the spacecraft's
signal, Kjell Karlsen,
president of Sea Launch
AG, congratulated
Eutelsat and Astrium.
"We take great pride in having
successfully delivered Eutelsat’s spacecraft accurately into its
designated transfer orbit. Once again, the Zenit-3SL/B has proven itself
as a reliable and accurate launch system with an overall launch success
rate of 95 percent.” Karlsen continued, “To our colleagues
at the launch site and around the world – well done!
Your dedication to perfection reflects the best of what Sea Launch
represents. ”
Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO,
added “The flexible EUTELSAT 70B satellite will further consolidate
Eutelsat’s commercial response to clients providing video, data and
telecoms services in a vast footprint encompassing Europe, Africa, Asia
and Australia. Our thanks go to Sea Launch AG, Energia Logistics and RSC
Energia for this flawless launch and their professionalism throughout
the campaign. With tonight’s launch successfully completed, we are now
fully focused on working with our industrial partner Astrium, to bring
EUTELSAT 70B into full commercial service in January 2013.”
The EUTELSAT 70B satellite is based on the Astrium
Eurostar E-3000 platform with a designed in-orbit lifetime exceeding 15
years. With a 48- Ku-band transponder payload, it will replace the
EUTELSAT 70A spacecraft and more than double Eutelsat's resources at its
70.5° East longitude location to provide premium communications services
for users in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
