Sea Launch's launch platform and Zenit rocket.

LONG BEACH, California USA — On Wednesday, March 19th, the Sea Launch team will loft a broadcast satellite into orbit from the equator in an exciting sea launch using the Zenit-3SL rocket.  Rocketry Planet will feed the webcast live into our chat room here for your viewing.

The Sea Launch team has arrived at the launch site on the equator and will initiate a 72-hour countdown today, in preparation for the launch of the DIRECTV 11 broadcast satellite on March 17. Liftoff is planned at 6:48 pm EDT (22:48 GMT), at the opening of a 58-minute launch window. All systems are proceeding on schedule. The webcast will begin at 6:30 pm EDT.

With operations at the launch site now underway, the marine crew has ballasted the Odyssey Launch Platform to its launch depth for stability. The Sea Launch Commander will be stationed near the Odyssey throughout the weekend, occasionally connected by a link bridge that enables foot traffic between the two vessels.

On the day before launch, the rocket will be rolled out of its environmentally-protected hangar on the platform and automatically erected on the launch pad. Before fueling begins, all personnel will evacuate the platform and transfer to the ship, which will be stationed about four miles uprange, throughout launch operations. At launch, the Zenit-3SL vehicle will lift the 5,923 kg (13,058 lb) DIRECTV 11 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital location of 99.2 degrees West Longitude.

In addition to the webcast here, Sea Launch will provide live coverage of the DIRECTV 11 mission via satellite and on the company website, beginning at 6:30 pm PDT (22:30 GMT) on March 19. The Sea Launch webcast will be posted at: http://www.sea-launch.com/current_index_webcast.html. Transponder coordinates for the satellite feed are posted at: http://www.boeing.com/nosearch/sealaunch/broadcast.html.

About Sea Launch Company
Sea Launch Company, LLC, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., offers the most direct and cost-effective route to geostationary orbit for commercial communications satellites. With the advantage of a launch site on the Equator, the robust Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier mass or provide longer life on orbit, offering best value plus optimized spacecraft orbital delivery.

The webcast is only available to registered users, but registration is easy and free. You must be logged in prior to entering the webcast and you must enter the special Arianespace Live Webcast link to view the webcast. To enter the webcast, simply click the link below:

Enter the Sea Launch Live Webcast

Note: Firefox users may need to download and install the Windows Media Player plugin for the Firefox browser to view Rocketry Planet webcasts.  Plugins can be found at the Firefox Plugins Page.

03-14-2008 01:00 PM  #1
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 2609	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast These are always exciting events. Last January's launch ended in an explosion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMG2SBwIcrM

03-14-2008 02:03 PM  #2
propellanttech from way back before RO   Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 246	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast The term "Splash down" takes on a whole new meaning now. I thought of this years ago....but couldn't figure a way to stabilize the platform for small rocket launches. I guess those rockets have stabilization built in. Cool.......hope Direct TV doesn't loose the satellite. The subscribers will have to pay for it .........if they do. James L

03-14-2008 03:43 PM  #3
Steve_Shannon When in doubt, ask Keenan   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 1844	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast Quote: ...hope Direct TV doesn't loose the satellite. The subscribers will have to pay for it .........if they do. James L The subscribers pay for the satellite if it makes it into orbit. The insurance company pays for it if it doesn't. The shareholders pay the premiums in either case.

03-14-2008 03:50 PM  #4
propellanttech from way back before RO   Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 246	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast Quote: The subscribers pay for the satellite if it makes it into orbit. The insurance company pays for it if it doesn't. The shareholders pay the premiums in either case. Yea....I guess you have a point. Either way I'm sure the subscribers have paid for it many times over already. James L

03-14-2008 04:08 PM  #5
Steve_Shannon When in doubt, ask Keenan   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 1844	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast Yes, I have. I've been a DirecTV subscriber for the last ten years. Last Saturday I had a message on my answering machine: "This is so and so from DirecTV. Later this month we will discontinue your PBS service due to the exciting new local channels that we are offering in your area. To receive these local channels you will need a 6 LNB antenna and a receiver with M-P-E-G 4 capabilities." I turned on the TV and PBS was already cancelled. Apparently "later this month" meant "in a sec." I had been inquiring about local channels for a couple of years, but this was my first notification that they would be added. I signed up for cable. DirecTV ends on Monday.

03-14-2008 04:16 PM  #6
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 2609	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast Quote: I thought of this years ago....but couldn't figure a way to stabilize the platform for small rocket launches. I guess those rockets have stabilization built in. Dan Pollino did a sea launch of a HPR rocket back in 2005. Pictures and video are available: http://www.inverseengineer...05/205/205%20Flight.html http://www.inverseengineer.../528%20Float%20test.html And http://www.inverseengineer.../806%20Sea%20Launch.html Very fun looking.

03-14-2008 04:46 PM  #7
propellanttech from way back before RO   Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 246	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast Quote: Dan Pollino did a sea launch of a HPR rocket back in 2005. Very fun looking. Doesn't look quite vertical to me.......maybe a wave hit when the motor lit. Oh well......I didn't have the money back in the day to build a rocket launch "barge" anyhow. James L

03-14-2008 05:24 PM  #8
UncleVanya If pigs had fins...   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 1969	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast Quote: Doesn't look quite vertical to me.......maybe a wave hit when the motor lit. Oh well......I didn't have the money back in the day to build a rocket launch "barge" anyhow. Reading the text on the site explains the angle. The Coast Guard had cleared a 3 mile radius so I suspect it was deemed safe.

03-17-2008 03:50 AM  #9
agrippo Certified Level Three   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 76	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast Quote: Dan Pollino did a sea launch of a HPR rocket back in 2005. Pictures and video are available: http://www.inverseengineer...05/205/205%20Flight.html http://www.inverseengineer.../528%20Float%20test.html And http://www.inverseengineer.../806%20Sea%20Launch.html Very fun looking. Those guys are Awesome!!! What a great project. With all the water we have in south Louisiana I could fly anytime I want if I had some rockets like that. Amazing, Andrew Grippo

03-17-2008 06:42 AM  #10
denverdoc Rana sapiens   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 2430	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast I seem to also recall someone launching underwater HPR rockets--not as from a swimming pool, but with scuba gear from many feet down under. Anyone else know of this?

03-19-2008 06:04 PM  #11
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 2609	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast Just a reminder: This launch is on today, at 6:48PM EDT. The link to the chat/webcast viewer is on the home page.

03-19-2008 07:48 PM  #12
UncleVanya If pigs had fins...   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 1969	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast Quote: Just a reminder: This launch is on today, at 6:48PM EDT. The link to the chat/webcast viewer is on the home page. Drat - I missed it again. I had to have dinner with the family dang! Was it good?

03-19-2008 10:06 PM  #13
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 2609	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast It was short. Very overcast, low clouds, didn't see much at all. And, Steve was late again.

03-19-2008 11:28 PM  #14
Steve_Shannon When in doubt, ask Keenan   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 1844	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast I was giving a tour. But, from the replay it didn't look like I missed a great deal, other than the chat session.

03-20-2008 08:25 AM  #15
UncleVanya If pigs had fins...   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 1969	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast Quote: I was giving a tour. But, from the replay it didn't look like I missed a great deal, other than the chat session. Where's the replay?

03-20-2008 10:17 AM  #16
Steve_Shannon When in doubt, ask Keenan   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 1844	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast The video feed that Darrell linked to the chat provided the replay shortly after the launch. It was not a video file that we could replay on demand. Sorry

03-20-2008 11:10 AM  #17
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 2609	Re: Join Rocketry Planet for a live Sea Launch webcast You can find a video on http://www.sea-launch.com.