25937 - DIRECTV 1R

DirecTV 1-R was an American communications spacecraft launched at 03:28 UT from the sea launch platform, Odyssey, that floated on the equatorial Pacific ocean at 0.0 latitude and 154 degrees W longitude by an Ukrainian Zenit rocket. This was the first commercial launch by the Sea Launch consortium jointly owned by American, Russian and Ukrainian companies. The 3,800 kg spacecraft will provide video channels directly to home-based dishes in an anticipated 50 million homes in North America through its 16 high-power Ku-band transponders, after parking over 101 degrees W longitude.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 1999-10-10
Launch Vehicle: Zenit
Launch Site: Odyssey (Sea Launch Platform), null
Mass: 3800.0 kg