"We were able to accomplish everything we had planned," said Don Carter, Sea Launch deputy vice president for development and operations. "The vessels performed exceptionally well, and I am pleased with the fine teamwork and cooperation among our partners and contractors as we ready for first launch."

Most of the tests were performed off the coast of Monterey, Calif., where a NOAA weather buoy correlated data on marine conditions. The vessels departed Home Port on Nov. 5 and returned on Nov. 12. Among the accomplishments:

• The two vessels were linked by a hydraulic gangway while maintaining their positions in heavy seas. This is significant because seas at the actual launch site are far calmer.
• A remote-control system aboard the command ship was used to maneuver the launch platform and control typical pre-launch operations aboard the launch platform.
• The 213-foot-tall launch platform was lowered about 90 feet into the stable launch position by filling its pontoons and columns with water.
• The launch platform's automatic stabilization system was engaged while a mock rocket was moved on rails from the hangar to the actual launch pad.
• About 40 takeoffs and landings of a helicopter from the command ship.

Each vessel was uniquely designed for Sea Launch. The Odyssey, converted from an oil-drilling rig, arrived at the Home Port on Oct. 4. It measures 436 feet long, 220 feet wide and, from the waterline to the bridge, about 213 feet tall. Sea Launch Commander, the mission-control center, is 667 feet long. It brought the first two Sea Launch rockets to Home Port on July 13.

Sea Launch is an international partnership planning the first-ever commercial satellite launch from a self-propelled platform at sea. The launch site is at the equator, near Christmas Island, about 1,400 miles southeast of Hawaii. From the equator, the launch vehicle follows the shortest possible route to geostationary orbit, about 26,000 miles away, thereby offering customers high-performance launch services.

The partnership has contracts for 18 launches. A demonstration payload is scheduled for launch in March 1999.

Sea Launch Awards Fuel Contracts

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