LIFTOFF! Soyuz-Fregat makes an on-time departure from Baikonur Cosmodrome

August 14, 2005

Starsem's Soyuz-Fregat launcher roared into the early morning skies over Kazakhstan today on its way to deploy the Galaxy 14 satellite for PanAmSat.

The Russian-built vehicle lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome on schedule at 5:28 a.m. local time (01:28 a.m. Paris time, and 7:28 p.m. in Washington, D.C.) and climbed out on the power of its four first-stage boosters and central core second stage.

Tracking cameras followed the launcher for well over five minutes as it headed downrange, clearly showing the Soyuz-Fregat's flight progress — including the jettisoning of its four first-stage boosters.

Galaxy 14 will be deployed in orbit today approximately 110 min. after liftoff, following the second of two burns performed by the launcher's Fregat upper stage.

The mission had been delayed 24 hours by telemetry that indicated a problem in a valve connecting the launch pad's liquid oxygen delivery line to the Soyuz-Fregat vehicle. Once the problem was resolved, team members gave the go-ahead for a new final countdown, which continued without interruption to the launcher's liftoff.

PanAmSat's Galaxy 14 is the second of three C-band geostationary communications satellites ordered from Orbital Sciences Corporation. It originally had been planned for launch on an Arianespace Ariane 5, and subsequently was switched to Starsem's Soyuz-Fregat to meet PanAmSat's operational requirements.

See our other Feature Stories on the Galaxy 14 mission:

    -MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Soyuz-Fregat orbits the Galaxy 14 satellite for PanAmSat - 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
    -The Galaxy 14 launch campaign enters its final phase - August 9
    -Galaxy 14 launch campaign is underway - July 7