Guide Note

Sea Launch is an international program managed by Boeing that provides a mobile launch platform for the launch of commercial satellites of the United States, Russia, Ukraine and Norway.¹

Fast Facts

1. Founded: 1995¹
2. First launch: 1999¹
3. As of March 19, 2008, has launched 26 rockets¹
4. Launches from the equator¹
5. Customers include: EchoStar, DirecTV, XM Satellite Radio and PanAmSat¹
6. October 2000: Broke world record for heaviest rocket²
7. Platform legs fill with water and sink for stability²
8. Rocket fueling and launch is automated²

The idea for Sea Launch began in the summer of 1993. In April 1995, Sea Launch was founded and, by December, construction on the company's vessels had begun. Construction on the main port in Long Beach, California began on August 8, 1996. Over the next two years the Sea Launch Commander, the command ship, and Odyssey, the launch pad vessel, were completed. By the end of 1998, the ships were in Long Beach and final preparations for the demo launch were underway. In March of 1999, Sea Launch performed its first launch with a demonstration payload rocket called DemoSat.^{1 2}