BY SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Follow the countdown and flight of the Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket with the Telstar 18 spacecraft. Reload this page for the latest on the mission.

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2004

Loral Space & Communications today announced that Telstar 18, a powerful and flexible satellite designed to provide communication services across Asia, has completed its in-orbit testing and is now fully operational. Read the full story.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2004

Loral Space & Communications has announced that Telstar 18 has successfully reached its in-orbit testing position at 142 degrees East longitude. Read the full story.

MONDAY, JULY 5, 2004

The Russian space company Energia and an independent board are investigating last week's early engine shutdown during a commercial Sea Launch rocket flight that left an Asian communications satellite 9,000 miles short of its planned orbit. Read our full story.

TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2004

An Asian telecommunications spacecraft was deployed in the wrong orbit by its sea-launched rocket early Tuesday, but the satellite's maker is confident that the altitude shortfall can be overcome without jeopardizing the mission. Read our full story.

1732 GMT (1:32 p.m. EDT)

The Telstar 18 satellite builder says the spacecraft will have enough fuel to reach its intended orbit and carry out a full mission despite the problem experienced during launch Monday night.

"According to Sea Launch, the spacecraft separated from the rocket's upper stage prematurely and was placed into a lower than expected transfer orbit," Loral Space and Communications said in a statement released this afternoon. "However, current data indicates the satellite has sufficient on-board fuel to bring it to its final orbital position and exceed its 13-year specified life. Telstar 18 has deployed its solar arrays and all systems on the spacecraft are operating normally."

1545 GMT (11:45 a.m. EDT)

Sea Launch failed to deliver the Telstar 18 spacecraft into the proper orbit, officials acknowledged a few hours after today's mission. The launch company initially called the mission a success immediately following the satellite's deployment from the rocket, as we reported live earlier today.

The satellite was headed for an elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit with a high point of 36,000 km and perigee of 760 km. However, the Energia-built Block DM-SL upper stage achieved a high point of only 21,000 km, according to Russian media reports.

What caused the problem is under investigation.

"We are still assessing the data and we are optimistic the spacecraft will achieve its specified lifespan on orbit. We are supporting our Loral customer in this assessment. We will issue additional information as it becomes available," Jim Maser, president and general manager of Sea Launch, said in a written statement.

The Loral-built satellite was designed to maneuver itself into a circular geostationary orbit of 36,000 km by raising the perigee up from 760 km. But whether the satellite actually has enough fuel to compensate for the altitude shortfall and still fulfill its 13-year service life remains to be seen.

Today's mission was the 14th Sea Launch flight. One launch was a total failure in 2000 when the second stage malfunctioned.

0518 GMT (1:18 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 79 minutes. Ground controllers have acquired signals from the Telstar 18 satellite via an Australia tracking station, confirming the spacecraft is functioning following launch into space.

In the coming days, the spacecraft will maneuver itself into geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above the equator where it can match Earth's rotation and appear parked above 138 degrees East longitude. It is expected to be checked out and ready for service later this summer.

Built by Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California, the satellite will be operated by Loral Skynet to provide television broadcasting, Internet services and other telecommunications across the Asia-Pacific region.

"When it enters service in August, the Telstar 18 satellite will add substantial capacity in Asia, one of Loral's most successful FSS markets," said Terry Hart, president of Loral Skynet. "Telstar 18 will join the already in-orbit Telstar 10 in serving Asia, offering cable, broadcast and SkyReach IP service connectivity stretching from Europe, through Asia and Australia, then on to the U.S. via Hawaii."

APT Satellite Company Limited of Hong Kong provided a portion of funded for this spacecraft. The deal gives the company use of 68.5 percent of Telstar 18's capacity. The number of transponders used by APT will be reduced over time, ultimately to 54 percent of the satellite's capacity, officials said.

APT needs the satellite to replace the aging Apstar 1 spacecraft launched 10 years ago.

Telstar 18 features 38 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders. The C-band coverage zone includes a broad area of China, southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific islands and Hawaii. The Ku-band footprint reaches China, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea.

0503 GMT (1:03 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 64 minutes, 50 seconds. SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The Telstar 18 communications spacecraft has been released from the Block DM-SL upper stage to complete this 14th Sea Launch flight.

Controllers expect to acquire the first signals from the newly-launched satellite in a few minutes via a tracking station in Australia.

0459 GMT (12:59 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 60 minutes. Deployment of the spacecraft from the upper stage is about five minutes away. During this coast period between completion of the Block DM-SL stage's burn and spacecraft separation, the stage is providing the necessary control and orientation for payload release.

0453 GMT (12:53 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 54 minutes, 40 seconds. The Block DM-SL's 11D58M main engine has shut down, completing the powered phase of tonight's launch. The stage will now coast for about 10 minutes before deploying the 10,229-pound Telstar 18 satellite.

0452 GMT (12:52 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 53 minutes. About two minutes remain in this upper stage burn.

0450 GMT (12:50 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 51 minutes. The rocket is flying high above Africa as the upper stage continues to fire.

0448 GMT (12:48 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 49 minutes, 20 seconds. The engine is operating normally.

0448 GMT (12:48 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 49 minutes, 2 seconds. Ignition! The Block DM-SL upper stage has restarted its engine.

0428 GMT (12:28 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 29 minutes. About 20 minutes remain in this coast period. Sea Launch has not reported any problems so far in tonight's flight.

0414 GMT (12:14 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 15 minutes. The upper stage will coast in the low-altitude orbit until the Block DM-SL reignites at T+plus 49 minutes for a scheduled six-minute firing to achieve geosynchronous transfer orbit. Deployment of Telstar 18 to complete tonight's launch is expected about 65 minutes after liftoff.

0412 GMT (12:12 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 13 minutes, 30 seconds. Engine cutoff. The Block DM-SL upper stage has completed its first burn this evening, injecting the motor and attached Telstar 18 spacecraft into a temporary parking orbit around Earth.

0411 GMT (12:11 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 12 minutes, 35 seconds. Engine pressures are reported normal.

0411 GMT (12:11 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 12 minutes, 10 seconds. The Block DM-SL motor continues to fire as planned.

0409 GMT (12:09 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 10 minutes, 30 seconds. The upper stage has another three minutes remaining in this initial burn.

0408 GMT (12:08 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes, 4 seconds. The Block DM-SL upper stage has ignited for its first of two firings this evening that will propel the Telstar 18 spacecraft into geosynchronous transfer orbit.

0408 GMT (12:08 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes. The second stage vernier engines have shut down and the spent stage has been jettisoned. It will impact the Pacific about 4,800 km downrange from the launch platform.

0406 GMT (12:06 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 7 minutes, 24 seconds. The second stage RD-120 main engine has shut down. The vernier engines continue to fire.

0406 GMT (12:06 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 7 minutes, 10 seconds. The second stage is throttling down in preparation for engine cutoff.

0405 GMT (12:05 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes, 15 seconds. Good engine pressures are still being reported on the second stage engine and verniers.

0404 GMT (12:04 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 5 minutes, 30 seconds. The vehicle remains stable and the engine pressures are normal.

0402 GMT (12:02 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 15 seconds. The command has been issued to jettison the rocket's payload fairing, or nose cone. It protected the satellite cargo during atmospheric ascent. The nose cone will impact the Pacific about 963 km downrange.

0401 GMT (12:01 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes. A good flight of the Zenit rocket is being reported as the second stage continues to fire.

0401 GMT (12:01 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes, 31 seconds. The first stage RD-171 engine has shut down and the spent stage was jettisoned. It will impact the Pacific Ocean approximately 830 km downrange from the Odyssey launch platform.

And the second stage engine has been ignited for its firing.

0400 GMT (12:00 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 30 seconds. The official liftoff time was 0358:59.16 GMT.

0400 GMT (12:00 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 10 seconds. The vehicle has passed through the region of maximum dynamic pressure.

0359 GMT (11:59 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 30 seconds. The rocket is stable as it maneuvers to the proper heading to fly eastward along the equator.

0359 GMT (11:59 p.m. EDT Mon.)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket carrying the Telstar 18 spacecraft to relay communications across the Asia-Pacific region.

0358 GMT (11:58 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 30 seconds. The final readiness checks have been completed to verify all systems are "go" for an on-time launch. Stand by for terminal count.

0358 GMT (11:58 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 1 minute and counting. Mission managers are giving their final approval for liftoff.

0357 GMT (11:57 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 2 minutes and counting. The engine start preparations are beginning to ready the first stage RD-171 powerplant for ignition. The Russian-made engine has four nozzles and powers the rocket for the first two-and-a-half minutes of flight.

0354 GMT (11:54 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 5 minutes.

0350 GMT (11:50 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 9 minutes and counting. Sea Launch is not reporting any problems at this time.

0345 GMT (11:45 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 14 minutes and counting. The launch site weather conditions at the equator are acceptable for this evening's flight. Winds are 10 knots from east and the temperature is 82 degrees F.

0343 GMT (11:43 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 16 minutes. The transporter/erector arm is starting to retract from the rocket. The arm was used to roll the rocket out of the environmentally-controlled hangar atop the Odyssey platform and lift the rocket upright. Once the arm is lowered to the platform deck, it will be returned to the hangar and the doors closed for launch.

Fueling operations have been completed aboard the Odyssey platform. Over the past couple of hours, the rocket was loaded with kerosene propellant and cryogenic liquid oxygen. The platform was cleared of all workers prior to this hazardous activity, with all personnel moved to the Sea Launch Commander ship safely positioned about three miles away.

0341 GMT (11:41 p.m. EDT Mon.)

All systems are "go" for tonight's Sea Launch rocket flight carrying the Telstar 18 communications satellite. Weather conditions are favorable and the countdown is entering the final minutes for liftoff at 0359 GMT.

MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2004

The three-day, highly-automated countdown for the next Sea Launch mission culminates with Monday night's liftoff of the Zenit 3SL rocket carrying an Asian telecommunications satellite into space from a floating platform in the Pacific Ocean.

The Odyssey platform and the Sea Launch Commander control ship both reached the launch site -- located at 154 degrees West longitude along the equator -- late last week after journeying from the Sea Launch home port in Long Beach, California.

The Zenit booster was rolled out of its protective hangar aboard Odyssey and erected veritcally onto its launch pedestal Sunday as final countdown preparations continued.

Monday night's two-hour launch window opens at 0359 GMT (11:59 p.m. EDT).

The 14th Sea Launch flight will deliver the 10,229-pound Telstar 18 satellite into a highly elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit an hour after liftoff.

Built by Space Systems/Loral, Telstar 18 will be operated by Loral Skynet to relay television programming, direct-to-home broadcasting, Internet connectivity and other telecommunications services across the Asia-Pacific region.

The craft features 38 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders.

After deployment from the Sea Launch rocket, the satellite will perform a series of orbit-raising maneuvers to reach its orbital slot in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above the equator at 138 degrees East longitude.

Looking ahead to the launch day activities, fueling of the rocket with its highly refined kerosene and liquid oxygen propellant begins in the last hours leading up to blastoff. The erector arm will be retracted and lowered away from the vehicle about 17 minutes before launch.

The first stage will burn for two-and-a-half minutes before shutting down and separating as the second stage ignites. The nose cone shielding the payload will be jettisoned 45 seconds later. The second stage will continue firing until about 8 minutes, 45 seconds into flight, followed by stage separation and ignition of the Block DM-SL upper stage for the first of two firings of the launch. The first burn will last four-and-a-half minutes to reach a temporary parking orbit around Earth. The stage and attached satellite then coast through space for about 36 minutes before the engine is re-started for a six-minute burn to place the spacecraft into its intended orbit. Spacecraft separation is slated for 65 minutes, 47 seconds after liftoff.