The satellite will be delivered to geosynchronous transfer orbit for Hughes Space and Communications International, Inc., and Telenor Satellite Services of Norway, by a Boeing Delta II three-stage expendable launch vehicle.

There are two launch windows. The first window opens at 6:33 p.m. and ends at 6:54 p.m. EDT. The second launch window opens at 8:35 p.m. and closes at 9:20 p.m. EDT. Spacecraft separation will occur approximately 90 minutes after liftoff.

"Flexibility has become a Delta hallmark," said Jay Witzling, Boeing vice president of Delta II and Titan programs. "Our team has demonstrated this by being prepared to launch Thor III less than 13 months after signing the contract with Hughes. The Delta team's aggressive schedule is responding to meet the growing launch requirements of our telecommunications customers," Witzling said.

The Thor III satellite, built by Hughes Electronics, will add additional capacity for television, telephone and data information services to Telenor's international communication system in Nordic countries and central and eastern Europe. The estimated life span of Thor III is 11.5 years.

Thor III will join Thor I and Thor II, which were successfully launched by Boeing Delta II rockets in August 1989, and May 1997 respectively.

Engineering, manufacturing and program management of the Delta II are led by Boeing Expendable Launch Systems, based in Huntington Beach, Calif., with final assembly in Pueblo, Colo. The Delta II is powered by the Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine, built by Boeing in Canoga Park, Calif.

Boeing has accomplished 16 launches in slightly more than 12 months, delivering 58 satellites. Over the last decade, the Delta II has logged an impressive 97 percent success rate -- making it one of the most reliable launch vehicles in the world today.

Telenor is a leading company in the growing satellite communications business in the Scandinavian region and in other worldwide markets.

Hughes Space and Communications International is a unit of Hughes Electronics, the world's leading manufacturer of commercial communications satellites. The company has built approximately 40 percent of the satellites currently in operation.

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