Astra 2B, a 3.3-tonne TV satellite built for Luxembourg-based operator Astra, and GE-7, a 1.98-tonne payload designed to provided radio and Internet links between the United States and the Caribbean for the US firm GE Americom, were launched from Kourou, French Guiana, at 2254 GMT.

They were placed in geostationary orbit, the location of choice for communications satellites, 35,900 kilometers (22,300 miles) above the Earth.

At this height, the period of revolution around the Earth is the same as the planet's period of rotation, so that the satellite maintains a continuous position above the same spot on the globe.

This was the third commercial launch of the Ariane-5, a giant rocket designed to place payloads of 6.8 tonnes into geostationary orbit. Modified versions are scheduled to boost this capacity to 12 tonnes by 2005.

The launch had initially been scheduled for May 23, but was postponed as the Astra 2B was not ready.

Arianespace, which markets the Ariane, says it has orders to launch 37 satellites with the Ariane-5 and the smaller Ariane-4, as well as nine freight vehicles to take payloads to the orbiting International Space Station (ISS).

The orders are worth nearly three billion dollars, Arianespace says.

An all C-band satellite, GE-7 will supplement the coverage of GE Americom's fleet of a dozen satellites that services the Americas.

The fleet includes four other Lockheed Martin A2100 spacecraft, GE-1, GE-2, GE-3 and GE-4, which provide distribution of cable, broadcast television and radio, business television and broadband data distribution across the 50 United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and in the case of GE-4, a beam into South America.

Following in-orbit checkout operations, the GE-7 satellite is planned to begin service before the end of October from its orbital location at 137 degrees West. GE-7 will take the place of GE SATCOM C1 currently operating at 137 degrees West.

John F. Connelly, Chairman and CEO, GE Americom said, "The GE-7 will join our rapidly expanding global fleet where it will provide service to regional and national programmers, in-orbit protection for many current cable and radio customers, plus the critical telecommunications services delivered by AT&T Alascom."

The GE-7 spacecraft is a member of the A2100 family of satellites developed by Lockheed Martin. The first A2100s, GE-1, GE-2, and GE-3 were built for GE Americom. GE-4 was launched successfully in November 1999.

The launch of GE-1A, a spacecraft for Americom Asia-Pacific, a joint venture of GE Americom and Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications, is scheduled for Oct. 4, 2000.

The GE-6 spacecraft, currently in final production at the Lockheed Martin facility in Sunnyvale, CA, is scheduled for launch in late October 2000.

Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems is also building another two satellites, GE-8 and GE-9, which will be used to serve the expanding needs of GE Americom's customers.

AFP Wire Services contributed to this report

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Space Systems/Loral Signs with Sea Launch for Telstar-8
Long Beach - Sept. 11, 2000
Space Systems/Loral has signed an agreement with Sea Launch, the ocean-based launch services company, to launch the Telstar-8 satellite in 2002. The contract, signed July 26, came two days before the successful launch of PAS-9, in which Sea Launch delivered the satellite to orbit with "bull's eye" accuracy. That mission reaffirmed the reliability of the system, the performance of the rocket and the extraordinary teamwork of the Sea Launch partners.

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