Intelsat 15 Launch Successful

The Intelsat 15 satellite was successfully launched at 4:00 p.m. EST on Monday, November 30, 2009 aboard a Land Launch Zenit-3SLB rocket from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan. Acquisition of telemetry from the satellite was confirmed at 10:28 p.m. EST.

Following a battery of in-orbit tests, the Intelsat 15 satellite will serve customers in the Middle East, the Indian Ocean Region and Russia, for an expected life span of 17 years.

[news release]

Intelsat 14 Launch Successful

Offers Fresh Capacity Which Will Serve Latin America, Europe and Africa.

An Atlas V rocket provided by United Launch Alliance successfully launched the Intelsat 14 satellite (IS-14). Once IS-14 is operational, it will replace Intelsat’s 1R satellite at 315º E.

The IS-14 spacecraft also carries a hosted payload for the Internet Router in Space, or IRIS program, for Cisco.

“IS-14 kicks off our 11-satellite investment campaign, the largest in our company’s history. This satellite provides capacity for our growing network services and government customers,” said Dave McGlade, Intelsat CEO. “Our customers use our infrastructure as an essential component to deliver in-demand services that include cellular backhaul to enable wireless communications in remote regions, broadband networks for enterprise and oil and gas applications, and IP trunking services for Internet connectivity.”

“We believe IRIS will extend broadband services on demand in the sky. The Cisco IRIS payload will merge communications received on various frequency bands and transmit them to multiple users,” said Steve Boutelle, Vice President, Cisco Global Government Solutions Group. “Once in service, the IRIS payload will support network services for voice, video and data communications, enabling U.S. military units and allied forces to communicate with one another using Internet Protocol (IP) and existing ground equipment.”

“Such hosted payload programs are prime examples of how governments can take advantage of commercial platforms to meet long-term communication requirements in an economical way,” said Kay Sears, President, Intelsat General Corp.

Intelsat 14 Rolls to Launch Complex 41

Patiently waiting in the penthouse of a 19-story Atlas V, the Intelsat 14 satellite’s launch vehicle was rolled out to Launch Complex 41 this morning, defying threats of residual winds from Hurricane Ida.

The 12:48 a.m. EST Saturday launch event will lift the Intelsat 14 to a geostationary transfer orbit and will, following the completion of in-orbit testing, serve customers throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa from 315 degrees East.

Customers have started arriving in Cocoa Beach for this evening’s welcome reception while the Intelsat, Lockheed Martin and Space Systems/Loral technical teams conduct a battery of pre-launch tests. Anticipation is high…the Intelsat 14 will soon be higher!

Of historical interest, Intelsat’s first satellite, Early Bird, the world’s first commercial communications satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 17A. Saturday’s launch of Intelsat’s newest satellite, the Intelsat 14, will be conducted from Launch Complex 41, which is north of Early Bird’s launch pad and immediately south of NASA’s space shuttle launch sites.

Intelsat 14 Satellite Fairing Lift

The Intelsat 14 satellite, encased in its fairing, was lifted to the top of its launch platform on Tuesday, 3 October, in preparation for mating to an Atlas V rocket.


(Photo: Intelsat 14 satellite fairing overlooking, Cape Canaveral, Florida)

Intelsat 14's IRIS Eyes The Skies

For Launch Atlas V Intelsat-14 mission is proceeding as planned with the commercial launch currently scheduled for Saturday, November 14 with a launch window of 12:48-2:18 a.m. EST, just past midnight of Friday evening, November 13.The launch will take place from Space Launch Complex-41, Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida.

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