* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Sicral 1B Satelite

Blobrana · L

TLE Data

OBJECT B
1 34811U 09020B   09110.40082708 -.00000043  00000-0  00000+0 0    19
2 34811 000.0300 195.4695 4753655 116.8787 016.3280 01.81529484    06

Blobrana · L

Early this morning, the Sea Launch Company successfully launched Telespazio's SICRAL 1B communications satellite from its equatorial launch site. This event marks Sea Launch's 30th mission from sea, since operations began in March 1999.
On today's mission, a Zenit-3SL vehicle lifted off at 1:16 am PDT (08:16 GMT) from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude. Less than two hours later, the Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 3,038 kg SICRAL 1B satellite into a high perigee geosynchronous transfer orbit. Telespazio's operators at the Fucino Space Centre in Italy acquired the spacecraft's first signals from orbit during flight operations and confirmed the health of the spacecraft shortly after its separation from the Block DM upper stage. Based on preliminary data, all Sea Launch system flight parameters were nominal and injection accuracy was excellent.

"We are very excited about today's launch results. Congratulations to Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space and to Italy's Ministry of Defence, which will be using some of the spacecraft's capacity to support NATO's European activities. We are proud to be part of Italy's growing satellite program and we look forward to future opportunities to support its continued success" - Kjell Karlsen, president and general manager of Sea Launch.

Source Sea Launch

Blobrana · L

The launch of the SICRAL (Italian Reserved Communications and Alarm System) 1B satellite took place this morning at 10:16 am CET (8:16 am GMT) from a Sea Launch platform in the Pacific with a Zenit-3SL launcher. The 1B is the second spacecraft within the project after 1 launched in 2001. Realized by Italian Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space, it will have an estimated operational lifespan of 13 years.

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Blobrana · L

A Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket is scheduled to launch the Italian Sicral 1B military telecommunications satellite between 08:16 - 09:13 GMT, 19th April, 2009, from the Odyssey platform, stationed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
The 3,038 kg dual-use Italsat 3000 spacecraft, built by Thales Alenia Space, will operate at from the 11.8 degrees East Longitude orbital slot.
The satellite's operational lifetime is 12 years.