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EchoStar XI Launch Update

Spektor – Tue, 2008 – 07 – 15 10:27

Set for tonight at 10:21pm PST via Sea Launch:

Long Beach, Calif., July 14, 2008 – The Sea Launch team arrived at the launch site in the Equatorial Pacific over the weekend and initiated a 72-hour countdown, in preparation for the launch of the EchoStar XI satellite on Tuesday, July 15. Liftoff is planned at 10:21pm PDT, July 15 (5:21 GMT, July 16), at the opening of a two-hour launch window.

Upon arrival at the launch site, at 154 degrees West Longitude, the team ballasted the Odyssey Launch Platform to launch depth. A final series of tests on all systems is now underway. Prior to fueling operations, the platform will be evacuated, with all personnel safely positioned on the ship, about four miles from the platform. One hour after liftoff, a Zenit-3SL vehicle will insert the 5,511 kg (12,150 lb) EchoStar XI satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital location of 110 degrees West Longitude.

Built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the powerful 20-kW spacecraft, carries a Ku-band payload that will support DISH Network’s direct broadcast television service for its customers throughout the United States. This spacecraft is designed for a 15-year service life on orbit. This is the 3rd mission Sea Launch is executing for DISH Network and the 8th mission with a spacecraft built by SS/L.

Check out a live still webcam from the platform here and here. If you're going to stay up late, you can watch live coverage of the launch here. And Sea Launch has extensive coverage of the mission and satellite here.

With DISH Network promising 130 HD channels by the end of 2008, this satellite launch is, like all of them, very important. And this launch couldn't be mre timely, as DISH just surpassed 100 channels just a few days ago. And this means that DISH may have just surpassed DirecTV.

Score: 8.5, votes: 2
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Comments

Echo 11 is up

 

Nice job, Sea Launch:

A Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off at 10:21pm PDT on July 15 (5:21 GMT, July 16) from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude. One hour later, the Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 5,511 kg (12,150 lb) EchoStar XI satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position at 110 degrees West Longitude. Operators at the Gnangara ground station in Perth, Australia, acquired the spacecraft’s first signals from orbit shortly after spacecraft separation. All systems performed nominally throughout the mission.

"Congratulations to DISH Network, and to Space Systems/Loral for tonight’s outstanding success,” said Kjell Karlsen, president and general manager of Sea Launch. “We’re proud of our role in DISH Network’s continued success. We thank you for your continued trust and confidence in our system and our team. I also want to thank the Sea Launch team, the Sea Launch partners, and all the suppliers and contractors around the world who support us."

Built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the EchoStar XI spacecraft is designed for an orbital service life of 15 years, with 20kW of power to support the expansion of DISH Network’s capacity and capabilities to customers throughout the United States.

"For the third mission in a row, Sea Launch has successfully launched a satellite for DISH Network, and we are thrilled to add our eleventh high-power satellite to our fleet,” said Rohan Zaveri, vice president of Space Programs for DISH Network. “We look forward to beginning testing and ultimately enhancing our already extensive, high quality programming lineup."

 

Rocco Fanucci – Wed, 2008 – 07 – 16 07:06

Echo 2 is not

Another 7000 bus is lost, via EchoStar 8-K:

On July 14, 2008, our EchoStar 2 satellite experienced a substantial failure that appears to have rendered the satellite a total loss. EchoStar 2 had been operating from the 148 degree orbital location primarily as a back-up satellite, but had provided local network channel service to Alaska and six other small markets. All programming and other services previously broadcast from EchoStar 2 were restored to Echostar 1, the primary satellite at the 148 degree location, within several hours after the failure. EchoStar 2, which was launched in September 1996, had a book value of approximately $6.4 million as of June 30, 2008.

Rocco Fanucci – Thu, 2008 – 07 – 17 08:42