* Astronomy

The third Geo-mobile satellite of Thuraya Satellite Telecom Co. has successfully been launched by Sea Launch today, allowing Thuraya to embark on major expansion plans and provide its cutting-edge mobile satellite services in the Asia-Pacific region in the first quarter of 2008.
Lifting off at 11:49 GMT (15:49 p.m. UAE local time) from the Odyssey Launch Platform at 154 degrees West Longitude, the Zenit-3SL rocket placed the 5,173 kg (11,381 lb) Thuraya-3 satellite manufactured by Boeing into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. Spacecraft separation occurred 99 minutes after liftoff, at 1,388 miles above the Pacific Ocean, north of New Zealand. A tracking station in Fillmore, California, acquired the first signal from the spacecraft a few minutes later as planned. All systems performed nominally throughout the flight.

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Boeing has acquired the first signals from the Thuraya-3 Geo-mobile satellite following today's launch aboard a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket, indicating that the Boeing-built spacecraft for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company is healthy and operating as designed.
A ground station in Fillmore, California, successfully acquired signals from the commercial communications satellite approximately 1 hour, 51 minutes after liftoff.

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The Sea Launch team has arrived at its launch site on the Equator and initiated a new 72-hour countdown, in preparation for the launch of the Thuraya-3 mobile communications satellite on Tuesday, January 15. Liftoff is planned at the opening of a 44-minute window, at 3:49am Pacific Standard Time (11:49 GMT).
Following delays in November due to unusually strong currents, the Sea Launch Commander and the Odyssey Launch Platform have returned to the launch site at 154 degrees West Longitude for launch operations. A day before liftoff, the launch team will erect the Zenit-3SL rocket on the launch pad and perform final tests on the launch system and the spacecraft before beginning the terminal countdown.
During final preparations for liftoff, the platform will be evacuated, with all personnel safely positioned on the ship, four miles from the platform. At launch, the rocket will lift the 5,173 kg (11,381 lb) spacecraft to geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital location of 98.5 degrees East Longitude.
Sea Launch will provide live coverage of the Thuraya-3 mission via satellite and on its website, beginning at 3:30am PST (11:30 GMT) on Jan. 15.

Source Sea launch

The long countdown has begun for the second attempt to launch a mobile voice and data services satellite from a Pacific Ocean platform.
The Boeing-built Thuraya-3 mobile satellite was scheduled to take off Tuesday from a spot on the equator. A 44-minute launch window opens at 6:49 a.m. EST, said Sea Launch Co., the world's only ocean-based space launch company.
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Unusually strong Pacific currents and winds stymied an attempt to launch a rocket carrying a commercial satellite and forced the oceangoing platform and control ship to sail back from the equator to their home port Tuesday.
The launch attempt was the first by Sea Launch Co. since a damaging rocket explosion in January.
The mission to put a mobile voice and data services satellite for Abu Dhabi-based Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Co. into orbit will be rescheduled, Sea Launch spokeswoman Paula Korn said.
The vessels had been at the Pacific Ocean launch site since Nov. 10, initially aiming for a Nov. 14 blastoff.

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Due to continued off-nominal sea-state conditions, Sea Launch remains on hold for the launch of the Thuraya-3 spacecraft.