"Long live Rock and Roll!"

A jubilant launch team member made that exclamation on Tuesday after a Zenit 3SL rocket successfully carried XM Satellite Radio's second powerhouse broadcasting spacecraft into orbit from a floating platform in the Pacific Ocean.

The Zenit 3SL rocket lifts off with XM-1. Photo: Sea Launch

The Sea Launch rocket lifted off at 2210:29 GMT (6:10:29 p.m. EDT) from the Odyssey platform stationed on the equator 1,400 miles southeast of Hawaii.

The three-stage Ukrainian/Russian vehicle flew a 65-minute flight before deploying the XM-1 satellite -- called "Roll" -- into geosynchronous orbit high above the Central Indian Ocean.

The mission came nearly two months after the XM-2 craft -- called "Rock" -- was successfully delivered into space by Sea Launch.

Built by Boeing Satellite Systems using its 702-model spacecraft, "Rock" and "Roll" feature a digital audio radio payload built by Alcatel Space Industries of France. The payload features two active transponders, each with 16 active (and six spare) 228-watt traveling wave tube amplifiers generating approximately 3,000 watts of RF signal power, making these the most powerful commercial transponders ever built.

Each satellite has two 16.4 foot folding deployable S-band transmit reflectors and one X-band global receive antenna. The craft are designed to operate for 15 years.

With its two spacecraft safely off the ground, XM is now poised to roll out its revolutionary radio-by-satellite service that will beam up to 100 channels of digital news, music, sports and entertainment programming directly to subscribers across the U.S.

"We now have two birds in the sky -- completing our constellation, XM-ready radios on retail shelves, our chipsets in production and our broadcast studios creating content," said XM President and CEO Hugh Panero.

Tuesday's liftoff as seen from the Sea Launch Commander control ship positioned about 3.5 miles from the Odyssey platform. Photo: Sea Launch

XM hopes to launch commercial service by late summer. But that won't come until "Roll" is maneuvered to its orbital parking slot 22,300 miles above the equator at 85 degrees West longitude. "Rock" is already on station at 115 degrees West where it is undergoing thorough testing.

The two satellites will blanket the entire lower 48 states, working in tandem to relay XM Satellite Radio's programming to special receiving radios installed in subscribers' cars and trucks and portable units that you can take anywhere. The service will cost $9.95 per month.

By broadcasting radio from overhead satellites and a network of ground repeaters, listeners will be able to hear one station from coast-to-coast. Truckers and travelers can drive from New York to Los Angeles and never lose their signal.

XM Satellite Radio plans to offer original programming including a wide range of music genres, plus channels dedicated to its partners.

The popular NASCAR stock car racing series will have a 24-hour channel with live qualifying and race coverage and in-depth feature programming.

An artist's concept of the XM 1 radio broadcasting spacecraft built by the Boeing Satellite Systems.

News and financial programming will include BBC World Service, CNN, PBS' News Hour with Jim Lehrer, The Weather Channel, Bloomberg, CNBC and USA Today.

Other specialty content will be provided by Black Entertainment Television, Hispanic Broadcast Corporation, C-SPAN Radio, Radio One, ASIAONE, CNN en Espanol, Clear Channel and DIRECTV, National Lampoon, Discovery, Christian broadcaster Salem Communications and Firesign Theatre.

Auto makers General Motors, American Honda Motor Co., American Isuzu, Suzuki and Freightliner have signed agreements to install the XM Satellite Radio receivers in vehicles before they roll off the factory line. However, those not buying a new car anytime soon can purchase the radios from a variety of stores like Sears, Best Buy or Circuit City.

XM's competitor -- Sirius Satellite Radio -- successfully launched its three spacecraft last year aboard Russian Proton rockets. However, Sirius doesn't expect to debut service until late this year because of delays getting special computer chips manufactured for placement in its satellite-receiving radios.

"When we first went out telling our story and raising money, what we heard was that it's a duopoly market and that we would launch a year after our competitor," Panero told a gathering watching Tuesday's launch. "It's a big market, there's room obviously for both players. We are now here, we are now equal and we will launch commercial service at the end of the summer."

For Sea Launch, the Odyssey platform and Commander control ship will soon set sail for the 3,000-mile trek to Home Port in Long Beach, California. The next Sea Launch flight is expected around mid-July when the Galaxy 3C telecommunications satellite is carried into space for PanAmSat.