Sea Launch announced Thursday it has initiated a 72-hour countdown in preparation for Saturday's launch of the Galaxy 16 communications satellite. The two-hour launch window begins 12:50 a.m. Pacific Time.
With launch site operations underway at 154 degrees west longitude on the equator, the Odyssey Launch Platform is ballasted to launch depth, stationed alongside the Sea Launch Commander, the assembly and command ship.
Technicians will roll out the Zenit-3SL launch vehicle from its protective hangar aboard the floating facility and automatically erected onto the launch pad. They also will perform final tests on the launch system and the spacecraft, leading up to the terminal count for liftoff.
Just before launch, the platform will be evacuated, with all personnel positioned on the ship, three miles uprange from the platform, during final preparations for liftoff.
On launch day, the rocket will lift the 4,640-kilogram (10,229-pound) Loral 1300-series spacecraft into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position of 99 degrees west longitude.
Built by Space Systems/Loral, Galaxy 16 carries 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders, designed to meet the needs of a variety of broadcast customers in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and Canada.
As the replacement for Galaxy 4R, Galaxy 16 will be the newest member of PanAmSat's North American Galaxy fleet.
Sea Launch has successfully launched three satellites for PanAmSat, including Galaxy 13/Horizons-1 in 2003, Galaxy 3C in 2002 and PAS-9 in 2000. This is Sea Launch's sixth mission with a spacecraft built by Space Systems/Loral.
Sea Launch will carry a live satellite feed and streaming video of the Galaxy 16 mission, beginning at 12:35 a.m. Pacific Time.
