* Astronomy

Sea Launch Company today successfully delivered the Galaxy 18 communications satellite to orbit from its ocean-based platform on the Equator, marking its third successful launch in 2008.
A Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off at 2:43am PDT (9:43 GMT) from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude, precisely on schedule. An hour later, the Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 4,642 kg (10,234 lb) Galaxy 18 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position at 123 degrees West Longitude. Operators at the Hartebeesthoek ground station in South Africa acquired the spacecrafts first signals from orbit shortly after spacecraft separation. All systems performed nominally throughout the mission.

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The satellite, built by Space Systems/Loral, will operate from 123 degrees west and serve programmers, government and corporate broadband customers in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

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