KOROLEV /Moscow region/, August 19 (Itar-Tass) —— The Sea Launch’s start of Intelsat-21 space apparatus demonstrated a world record in accuracy, Deputy Engineer General of Energia Rocket and Space Corporation Valery Aliyev, who is on board the command vessel at the equator, said on Sunday.
Energia’s President and Engineer General Vitaly Lopota congratulated the company “with another world record in accuracy of putting into the orbit.” The accuracy during Sunday’s launch is “another world record: at perigee - to zero, according to the inclination - to zero, at the apogee - a deviation of a few kilometres,” he said.
Aliyev added that “at perigee putting was planned at 280 kilometres plus or minus 13 kilometres, as a result it was to 280 kilometres. By apogee - 35,786 kilometres, plus or minus 129, the result was 35,781, and by inclination reached zero.” Lopota also congratulated the entire cooperation – 30,000 staff members, who worked on supplies of components to Sea Lanuch, as well as Ukrainian colleagues of Yuzhnoye design bureau, which produce Zenit booster.
“We have fulfilled our work normally, and in the complicated time for our space industry we have demonstrated our opportunities,” Lopota said.
He also wished to the marketing service of Sea Launch more active work.
“We have six space apparatuses ahead, but we should have about 20,” he said adding that Sea Launch had “170 more licenses for launches from the equator.”
On Sunday, Sea Launch Company put Intelsat-21 communication satellite into the Earth’s geosynchronous orbit. Zenit-3SL booster started at 10:55 Moscow time from the Odyssey floating platform in the Pacific Ocean.
The launch and putting into the orbit of the satellite were successful and professional, Sea Launch Company, based in Long Beach /California/ said. The satellite is in the planned position, and we have received a confirming signal.
Intelsat-21 manufactured by American Boeing is designed to operate for 15 years. The device replaces on the orbit Intelsat-9, and will provide direct satellite communication for residents in Latin America.
Zenit-3SL consists of the upper stage Zenit-2S block produced at Ukraine’s Yuzhmash /Dnepropetrovsk/ design bureau and of a DM-SL block of Russia’s Energia Rocket and Space Corporation.