The Soyuz rocket soars into space with Galaxy 14. Credit: Arianespace webcast

Liftoff of the 1,699th Soyuz rocket was at 2328 GMT (7:28 p.m. EDT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome's launch pad 6 in the arid plains of central Kazakhstan. The 680,000-pound four-stage rocket flew on an easterly course away from the historic launch site before being injected into orbit a few minutes after its on-time departure.

During the boost phase, cameras at Baikonur showed the Soyuz heading east across central Asia as it flew into sunlight in the pre-dawn sky. The plume from the launcher's core stage expanded in the upper atmosphere, providing a picturesque shot for television viewers and spectators.

Using a pair of burns, the seventh flight of the Fregat upper stage propelled the over 4,000-pound Galaxy 14 satellite into the targeted geostationary transfer orbit with an expected high point of 44,990 miles, low point of 4,144 miles, and an inclination of 49.3 degrees. The Fregat used springs to separate from the payload about an hour and 37 minutes after launch, and officials later confirmed the craft was in good health.

Russian ground stations were to track in real-time major events during the launch, from liftoff through the second Fregat firing and spacecraft deployment.

"We got a great ride, and we are very pleased with the performance. It was right on the mark," said PanAmSat Galaxy 14 project manager Brian Sing shortly after confirmation of separation was received.

Galaxy 14 had to wait an extra day to get to space after Friday's try ended in a last-second abort due to an unacceptable problem with a liquid oxygen valve in a line connecting the rocket to the launch pad. Workers could be seen in video walking around the launch pad just moments after the scrub.

Launch services were provided by Starsem, the international affiliate of the storied Arianespace firm. Galaxy 14 was shifted to the 13th Starsem-managed Soyuz rocket from the Ariane 5 to provide an earlier launch opportunity given Arianespace's busy manifest with up to 40 payloads currently on the books.

Once in its final circular orbit some 22,300 miles high above the Equator, Galaxy 14 will appear to match Earth's rotation so it will hover above a single locale to beam a package of digital broadcasting and communications across the continental United States. But first a complex series of thruster firings will have to gradually raise its current orbit.

Galaxy 14 will be controlled by U.S. satellite operator PanAmSat at a permanent home along the Equator at 125 degrees West longitude, or high above the Pacific Ocean. Co-located with the identical Galaxy 12, its 24 C-band transponders will reach customers around the United States during its 15-year mission.

"This is one of our most productive orbital slots," Sing said. "This will be a very big success for us."

Its C-band payload will relay television programming to cable companies, network broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home satellite operators, and Internet service providers. Galaxy 14 will also have the capability to support high-definition television, digital services, and broadcasting via broadband Internet signals.

Built by Orbital Sciences in Dulles, Virginia, Galaxy 14 is based on the manufacturer's Star-2 satellite bus. The craft's power-producing solar arrays will extend over 40 feet tip-to-tip to help provide double the power of its predecessors.

"Galaxy 14 is going to fit right into our cable neighborhood here in our home country," said PanAmSat chief executive officer Joe Wright. "Galaxy 14 is a dynamic, next-generation spacecraft designed to meet the needs of tomorrow."

PanAmSat's satellite fleet broadcasts television signals for 2,000 channels for over 100 cable networks to 125 million households annually across the Americas. Galaxy 14, along with its counterparts at 125 degrees West, will provide the foundation for the company's digital broadcasting services, PanAmSat officials say.

Galaxy 14 is the second of a trio of Orbital-built satellites for PanAmSat, following Galaxy 12's launch in April 2003 aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. Next up will be Galaxy 15, due for launch next month on another Ariane 5.

Galaxy 15 will also contain L-band GPS navigation instruments for use by pilots at thousands of small airports around the United States. Led by the Federal Aviation Administration, the program will provide data to aircraft for precision landing capability.

Galaxy 14 was transported from the United States to Baikonur via cargo plane, and it arrived in Kazakhstan on July 7. After fueling with maneuvering propellant, the satellite was mated to the Soyuz about eight days before launch. The fully assembled rocket was transferred by rail and lifted vertically on the launch pad earlier this week.

Saturday's launch was the first flight of a Soyuz heritage vehicle since the failure of a similar Molniya rocket in June. That accident was blamed on the second stage of the booster as the engine stopped firing and the rocket and payload crashed back to Earth in Siberia.

In another close cooperative project between Europe and Russia, plans are full steam ahead for the launching of Soyuz rockets from Kourou's Guiana Space Center in South America -- the home of the Ariane. The first flight from there is planned for 2008 after construction of its launch pad is completed.

The Soyuz can take advantage of the additional boost provided by Earth's more rapid rotation in the equatorial belt to loft more massive payloads into the geostationary orbits tailored for communications satellites. From Kourou, the modernized Soyuz with a new digital control system, an upgraded third stage, and a larger payload shroud can launch approximately 6,732 pounds into such an orbit.

Once the Soyuz is operational in French Guiana, Arianespace will have both heavy- and medium-lift options on the market from the same launch site. The Italian-led Vega rocket project also set to debut in 2008 will capture the market for lighter satellites destined for low Earth orbit.

The next Soyuz launch is scheduled for September 8 when it will send the International Space Station's 19th Progress resupply capsule into orbit.