The Galaxy 14 launch campaign enters its final phase

August 9, 2005

Galaxy 14 is prepared in the Starsem Payload Processing Facilities (SPPF) at Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Preparations are nearing completion for the August 13 flight of PanAmSat's Galaxy 14 telecommunications satellite on a Soyuz-Fregat launcher.

This mission is another demonstration of the flexible launcher family policy developed by Starsem and Arianespace, which allowed Galaxy 14 to be switched from an Ariane 5 to the Soyuz-Fregat in order to meet PanAmSat's operational requirements.

The upcoming launch will mark the 1,699th flight of the workhorse Soyuz family, and will use the Fregat upper stage to perform two successive burns to place Galaxy 14 on its transfer orbit 1 hr. 37 min. after liftoff from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Processing of the Galaxy 14 spacecraft was carried out in the state-of-the-art Starsem Payload Processing Facilities (SPPF) at Baikonur Cosmodrome, which include three Class 100,000 clean rooms for the complete integration, checkout, test and fueling of customer satellites.

Horizontal encapsulation of the Galaxy 14 satellite with its Soyuz payload fairing was performed in the Starsem Payload Processing Facilities (SPPF).

Galaxy 14 has a liftoff mass of 2,087 kg. and will be co-located with PanAmSat's Galaxy 12 satellite at an orbital slot of 125 deg. West. This positioning will provide PanAmSat with the highest fleet redundancy in the fixed satellite services (FSS) industry.

Custom-designed by Orbital Sciences Corporation for PanAmSat, Galaxy 14 is a Star 2 Bus model satellite with 24 36-MHz C-band transponders. Its output will be more than double the power of its predecessors, and is to play an important role in the complete digital delivery of programming in the U.S. that is mandated by America's Federal Communications Commission.

Galaxy 14 is the second in a series of new-generation satellites ordered by PanAmSat to provide additional power output, increased flexibility and service availability to its customers. It will deliver digital video programming, high-definition television (HDTV), video on demand and Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) service throughout the continental United States.

Liftoff of the Soyuz-Fregat launcher is scheduled at 5:28 a.m. local time on August 13 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome (23h28 UTC on Friday August 12; 01:28 a.m. Paris time on August 13).

See our other Feature Stories on the Galaxy 14 mission:

    -MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Soyuz-Fregat orbits the Galaxy 14 satellite for PanAmSat - August 14
    -LIFTOFF! Soyuz-Fregat makes an on-time departure from Baikonur Cosmodrome - August 14
    -Soyuz-Fregat mission with Galaxy 14 rescheduled for Aug. 13 - August 13
    -Launch hold for the Soyuz-Fregat mission with Galaxy 14 - August 13
    -Soyuz-Fregat launcher readied for launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome with Galaxy 1 - August 12
    -Galaxy 14 launch campaign is underway - July 7