BY SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Follow the countdown and flight of the Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket with the EchoStar 10 broadcasting spacecraft. Reload this page for the latest on the mission.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2006

With a booming burst of fire and smoke, a Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket began its journey toward orbit from the tranquil Pacific Ocean Wednesday on a mission to deploy a communications satellite that will become part of DISH Network's space-based broadcasting system. Read our launch story.

0132 GMT (8:32 p.m. EST Wed.)

Maser reports that the targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit was achieved today.

Check back later today for a full wrap-up story of the launch.

0124 GMT (8:24 p.m. EST Wed.)

"It was just an outstanding launch," says Jim Maser, the president of Sea Launch.

"What a great way to start off the year," he added. The company plans to conduct six launches in 2006.

0123 GMT (8:23 p.m. EST Wed.)

Ground crews have detected the first signals from the EchoStar 10 spacecraft, confirming the craft is operating following today's launch into orbit.

0052 GMT (7:52 p.m. EST Wed.)

"So far, so good," says Rohan Zaveri, EchoStar's vice president of satellite programs. The launch appears to have gone very well.

0037 GMT (7:37 p.m. EST Wed.)

T+plus 62 minutes, 40 seconds. SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The EchoStar 10 communications spacecraft has been released from the Block DM-SL upper stage to complete this 19th Sea Launch flight!

Controllers expect to acquire the first signals from the newly-launched Lockheed Martin-made satellite in about 30 minutes via a ground tracking station in Australia.

0033 GMT (7:33 p.m. EST Wed.)

T+plus 58 minutes. Deployment of the spacecraft from the upper stage is less than five minutes away. During this coast period between completion of the Block DM-SL stage's burn and spacecraft separation, the stage is providing the necessary control and orientation for payload release.

0028 GMT (7:28 p.m. EST Wed.)

T+plus 53 minutes. The Block DM-SL's 11D58M main engine has shut down, completing the powered phase of todays's launch. The stage will now coast for about 10 minutes before deploying the EchoStar 10 satellite.

0026 GMT (7:26 p.m. EST Wed.)

T+plus 51 minutes, 45 seconds. The rocket is flying over Africa as the upper stage continues to fire. About two minutes remain in this burn.

0022 GMT (7:22 p.m. EST Wed.)

T+plus 47 minutes, 20 seconds. Ignition! The Block DM-SL upper stage has restarted its engine to propel EchoStar 10 into geosynchronous transfer orbit.

0017 GMT (7:17 p.m. EST Wed.)

T+plus 42 minutes, 30 seconds. The rocket is flying above the central Atlantic Ocean, just a few minutes from the next engine burn.

0007 GMT (7:07 p.m. EST Wed.)

T+plus 32 minutes. About 15 minutes remain in this coast period. Sea Launch has not reported any problems so far in today's flight.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006
2350 GMT (6:50 p.m. EST)

T+plus 15 minutes. The upper stage will coast in this orbit until the Block DM-SL reignites at T+plus 47 minutes for a scheduled five-minute, 38-second firing to achieve geosynchronous transfer orbit. Deployment of EchoStar 10 to complete today's launch is expected about 62 minutes after liftoff.

2348 GMT (6:48 p.m. EST)

T+plus 13 minutes, 30 seconds. Engine cutoff. The Block DM-SL upper stage has completed its first burn, injecting the motor and attached EchoStar 10 spacecraft into a temporary parking orbit around Earth.

2348 GMT (6:48 p.m. EST)

T+plus 13 minutes. Upper stage engine pressures reported normal.

2345 GMT (6:45 p.m. EST)

T+plus 10 minutes, 30 seconds. Three minutes remain in this planned upper stage burn to reach a parking orbit of 112 x 1,308 miles.

2343 GMT (6:43 p.m. EST)

T+plus 8 minutes, 50 seconds. The Block DM-SL upper stage has ignited for today's first of two firings to accelerate the spacecraft from the current suborbital trajectory to geosynchronous transfer orbit.

2343 GMT (6:43 p.m. EST)

T+plus 8 minutes, 30 seconds. The second stage vernier engines have shut down and the spent stage has been jettisoned. It will impact the Pacific about 2,900 miles downrange from the launch platform.

2342 GMT (6:42 p.m. EST)

T+plus 7 minutes, 20 seconds. The second stage RD-120 main engine has shut down. The vernier steering engines are still burning as designed.

2342 GMT (6:42 p.m. EST)

T+plus 7 minutes. The second stage is throttling down in preparation for engine cutoff.

2341 GMT (6:41 p.m. EST)

T+plus 6 minutes. Second stage engine pressures are normal as the motor continues to fire. A good flight of the Zenit rocket is being reported by Sea Launch.

2339 GMT (6:39 p.m. EST)

T+plus 4 minutes, 25 seconds. NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System has acquired the vehicle to receive telemetry for transmission to Sea Launch. The second stage is still firing.

2338 GMT (6:38 p.m. EST)

T+plus 3 minutes, 50 seconds. The rocket's payload fairing, or nose cone, has been jettisoned. It protected the satellite cargo during atmospheric ascent. The nose cone will impact the Pacific about 630 miles downrange.

2338 GMT (6:38 p.m. EST)

T+plus 3 minutes, 15 seconds. The second stage engine is burning normally.

2337 GMT (6:37 p.m. EST)

T+plus 2 minutes, 55 seconds. The second stage engine has been ignited for its firing.

2337 GMT (6:37 p.m. EST)

T+plus 2 minutes, 40 seconds. The first stage RD-171 engine has shut down and the spent stage was jettisoned. It will impact the Pacific Ocean approximately 495 miles downrange from the Odyssey launch platform.

2336 GMT (6:36 p.m. EST)

T+plus 1 minute, 45 seconds. The official liftoff time was 2334:59.098 GMT.

2336 GMT (6:36 p.m. EST)

T+plus 1 minute, 10 seconds. The vehicle has passed through the region of maximum dynamic pressure.

2335 GMT (6:35 p.m. EST)

T+plus 45 seconds. The 20-story Zenit 3SL rocket is riding the thrust of the first stage main engine. The Russian-made engine has four nozzles and powers the rocket for the first two-and-a-half minutes of flight.

2335 GMT (6:35 p.m. EST)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket with EchoStar 10 -- the newest spacecraft for the DISH Network direct-to-home broadcasting system!

2334 GMT (6:34 p.m. EST)

T-minus 1 minute and counting.

2332 GMT (6:32 p.m. EST)

T-minus 3 minutes and counting. The spacecraft team has given its final "go" for launch. EchoStar 10 is ready to fly.

2331 GMT (6:31 p.m. EST)

T-minus 4 minutes and counting. All systems appear "go" for liftoff from the Odyssey launch platform.

2325 GMT (6:25 p.m. EST)

T-minus 10 minutes and counting.

2322 GMT (6:22 p.m. EST)

Sea Launch says everything is looking good for liftoff today.

2321 GMT (6:21 p.m. EST)

T-minus 14 minutes. The transporter/erector arm is pulling away from the Zenit rocket. The arm was used to roll the rocket out of the environmentally-controlled hangar atop the Odyssey platform and lift the rocket upright. Once the arm is lowered to the platform deck, it will be returned to the hangar and the doors closed for launch.

2300 GMT (6:00 p.m. EST)

The Zenit rocket stands poised for blastoff in 35 minutes from the equatorial Pacific Ocean carrying a direct-to-home broadcast satellite designed to beam television programming to millions of DISH Network customers across the United States.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2006

The EchoStar 10 launch has been reset for Wednesday at 2335 GMT (6:35 p.m. EST), Sea Launch announced today. The Zenit 3SL rocket was erected this morning.

Sea Launch says ocean currents unfavorable to positioning the launch platform and control ship caused of the postponement since the weekend.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2006

Another technical problem has forced Sea Launch to cancel Sunday's planned liftoff of the Zenit 3SL rocket with the EchoStar 10 direct-to-home TV satellite.

Details about the delay, including the exact reason and options for rescheduling the mission, have not been disclosed tonight.

The rocket has been rotated horizontally for a second time. The initial countdown was stopped a few minutes before liftoff Wednesday by some sort of ground system anomaly.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2006

Sea Launch has rescheduled its Zenit rocket flight with the EchoStar 10 satellite payload for 2335 GMT (6:35 p.m. EST) Sunday.

"We understand the ground support system issue we observed during countdown last Wednesday and we are confident that our corrective action will support a successful liftoff on Sunday," Jim Maser, president and general manager of Sea Launch, said in a press statement today.

The rocket was lowered into a horizontal position atop the Odyssey launch platform following the scrub. It will be erected on the launch mount for the next countdown.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2006

The countdown cutoff experienced in the final minutes before today's planned liftoff of the Zenit 3SL rocket carrying the EchoStar 10 broadcasting spacecraft was caused by an "off-nominal indication" from the ground support system, Sea Launch said tonight.

"Following the direction to stop the countdown, the launch team immediately implemented system safing and securing operations. The EchoStar 10 spacecraft and the Zenit 3SL vehicle are in excellent condition. The launch team is currently evaluating the issue to determine a corrective action and a schedule for the next launch opportunity," the company said in a statement.

2328 GMT (6:28 p.m. EST)

HOLD. The launch team has called a halt in today's countdown because of a problem, Sea Launch spokeswoman Paula Korn says. There was no immediate information on the problem or when the launch would be rescheduled.

2320 GMT (6:20 p.m. EST)

T-minus 15 minutes. The transporter/erector arm is starting to retract from the rocket. The arm was used to roll the rocket out of the environmentally-controlled hangar atop the Odyssey platform and lift the rocket upright. Once the arm is lowered to the platform deck, it will be returned to the hangar and the doors closed for launch.

Fueling operations have been completed aboard the Odyssey platform. Over the past couple of hours, the rocket was loaded with kerosene propellant and cryogenic liquid oxygen. The platform was cleared of all workers prior to this hazardous activity, with all personnel moved to the Sea Launch Commander ship safely positioned about three miles away.

2316 GMT (6:16 p.m. EST)

The Zenit rocket is fueled up for blastoff at 2335 GMT from the equatorial Pacific. Weather conditions appear to be beautiful for the launch.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2006

Sea Launch's first mission of 2006 is set to fly Wednesday from the waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean with a direct-to-home broadcast satellite designed to beam television programming to millions of customers across the United States.

Liftoff of the Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket with EchoStar 10 on-board is timed for 2335 GMT (6:35 p.m. EST) from the Odyssey launch platform positioned in the central Pacific Ocean along the Equator at 154 degrees West longitude. The available launch window extends for 49 minutes.

The Sea Launch fleet reached the launch site over the weekend after steaming for more than a week from the company's home port in Long Beach, California. The ocean-going launch pad known as Odyssey set sail first, followed a few days later by the departure of the Sea Launch Commander vessel, which houses the management, official guests and launch control center.

Odyssey's ballast tanks were filled with seawater upon arrival, dropping the converted Norwegian oil-drilling platform to the launch depth of 65 feet. Control teams also commenced the standard 72-hour countdown. The Sea Launch Commander then pulled alongside Odyssey to allow workers to easily transfer between the two ships. The Zenit 3SL rocket was rolled out from its transport hangar aboard Odyssey and erected on the launch pedestal as the countdown reached the 27-hour mark.

The three-stage Zenit booster - on its 19th flight in this configuration - will take just over an hour to complete its role to deliver the EchoStar 10 payload into a planned orbit with a low point of 1,050 miles and a high point of about 22,300 miles. The injection orbit's inclination will be zero degrees.

Over the next few weeks, EchoStar 10 will use its propulsion system to gradually raise its orbit to geostationary altitude, where its velocity will match that of Earth's rotation. The satellite will be positioned along the Equator at 110 degrees West longitude, or about 22,300 miles high above the eastern Pacific. At that slot, EchoStar 10 will be co-located with EchoStar 6 and EchoStar 8.

EchoStar 10 will take advantage of its unique vantage point to provide broadcasting services directly to the living rooms and offices of over 12 million customers throughout the United States. Joining nine other satellites, the newest addition to the EchoStar fleet will be adding further redundancy to existing craft while working to expand product offerings in EchoStar Communications' DISH Network service.

Built by Lockheed Martin, EchoStar 10 has a guaranteed lifetime of up to 15 years in space. The 9,532-pound spacecraft features a Ku-band communications payload that can reach households across the United States.

Controllers will spend the final hours of Wednesday's launch countdown to make final preparations to the rocket, payload and ground infrastructure. The Sea Launch Commander will pull away from the launch platform to a safe viewing distance about three miles away.

Fueling operations will get underway about two-and-a-half hours prior to the scheduled launch time. A mix of refined kerosene and liquid oxygen comprise the propellant used by all three stages of the launch vehicle.

After liftoff, the Zenit 3SL will fly downrange on a due east trajectory hugging the Equator. The first stage's Ukrainian four-chamber RD-171 engine ramps up to a maximum of 1.6 million pounds of thrust during its burn lasting two minutes, 29 seconds. After first stage separation, the second stage's RD-120 powerplant will come to life at an altitude of approximately 45 miles. During the second stage firing, the payload fairing shielding the EchoStar 10 satellite during the flight through the denser lower atmosphere will be jettisoned.

Eight minutes, 19 seconds after blastoff is the point when the second stage will separate from the Block-DM upper stage and payload. Ten seconds later, the Block-DM will ignite for a five-minute burn to place itself in a temporary parking orbit. After an extended coast phase, the stage will fire again to inject EchoStar 10 into its targeted geostationary transfer orbit. Spacecraft separation is expected just over an hour after liftoff. Acquisition of signal from EchoStar 10 should occur about a half-hour later.

Check this page during the launch for live updates on the progress of the mission.