ST. LOUIS, June 11 -- Thuraya-2, the second satellite built by Boeing for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Co., of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, rocketed to geosynchronous transfer orbit today, aboard a Zenit-3SL provided by Sea Launch Company LLC.
The Boeing GEO-Mobile model satellite lifted off at 6:56 a.m. PDT from the Odyssey Launch Platform positioned on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle approximately an hour and 40 minutes after the launch, and minutes later its first signals were received at a Telemetry, Tracking and Control Station at Uralla, Australia, confirming normal operation.
Built in El Segundo, Calif., Thuraya-2 is designed to operate for 12 years at the 44 degrees east longitude orbital slot. The satellite will add capacity to the Thuraya network, which provides mobile voice and data communication services to a region of more than 100 countries in Europe, the Middle East, North and Central Africa and Central and South Asia.
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