Bern, Switzerland -Sea Launch AG will launch the Intelsat 18 (IS-18) communications satellite in the second half of 2011 under a contract with Intelsat, the world’s leading provider of fixed satellite services.

Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, IS-18 is one of ten STAR GEO communications satellites ordered by Intelsat and will carry a C-band and a Ku-band payload and will be located in an orbital slot at 180 degrees East Longitude. IS-18 will have a launch mass of 3,200 kg (7,055 lb.) and is designed for 15 years of service. IS-18’s C-band payload will serve Eastern Asia, the Pacific and the Western United States and its Ku-band payload will serve French Polynesia, Eastern Australia and the United States.

The satellite will be lofted to an optimized geosynchronous transfer orbit using the reliable Zenit-3SLB vehicle launching from Site 45 at the Zenit Launch Complex located within the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

“We are most pleased that Intelsat came to Sea Launch to provide the launch solution for IS-18,” said Kjell Karlsen, president of Sea Launch. “This decision reflects our customer|s continued confidence in our renewed capabilities to provide quality launch services on schedule and with maximum flexibility.”

About Intelsat

Intelsat is the leading provider of fixed satellite services worldwide. For over 45 years, Intelsat has been delivering information and entertainment for many of the world’s leading media and network companies, multinational corporations, Internet Service Providers and governmental agencies.
Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video, data and voice services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and broadband access, with Intelsat, advanced communications anywhere in the world are closer, by far.

About Sea Launch AG

Sea Launch AG, headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, provides corporate sales, marketing, contracting and management for launch services based on the highly-proven and reliable Zenit-3SL launch system. The Sea Launch system has flown 30 missions, providing diversity of supply, affordability and flexibility for the industry’s satellite operators.

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Contact:
Peter Stier, VP of Sales & Marketing
562.499.4726 peter.g.stier@sea-launch.com