Six of the satellites that are part of the largest fleet investment in Intelsat's history are being prepared for launch within a 12-month span, ready to provide new and refreshed capacity for customers around the globe. Managing these multiple, overlapping launch missions will create a busy, but exciting, period for the Intelsat personnel involved in the process.

Intelsat engineers have been working closely with the various satellite manufacturers to guide the spacecraft through design review and tests to simulate the conditions they will face during launch.

"Diversity in the Intelsat fleet is an important element of our risk mitigation strategy. Intelsat's fleet consists of 10 different satellite platforms manufactured by seven different contractors.

This allows us to spread the risk in case a generic technical issue is discovered on a given platform," said Jean-Luc Froeliger, Senior Director, Space Systems Acquisition.

The three different launch vehicle providers - Arianespace, ILS and Sea Launch - are involved as well to make sure the spacecraft are compatible with their respective vehicle.

"We are monitoring the launch vehicle production schedule. Because there is lots of hardware coming from Russia and the Ukraine, we go there on a regular basis to make sure it's being manufactured to meet our specs and schedule," said Froeliger.

"Diversity on the launch vehicle side allows us to spread the risk in managing our overall satellite deployment plan. If a launch vehicle suffers a failure or anomaly, the corresponding manifest will be put on hold while the failure investigation concludes and corrective actions are implemented.

By contracting with multiple launch vehicles, we avoid delaying the launch of a large number of satellites that might have been slated for that vehicle."

As the launch date for a particular satellite draws closer, Intelsat's team will be on-site for the duration of the campaign, which lasts four to five weeks.

The first order of business is to test the satellite to make sure it ready for launch and then fuel the spacecraft before handing it off to the launch vehicle provider for the start of combined operations. The satellite is then mated to the launch vehicle and undergoes more tests and rehearsals prior to launch day.

Intelsat is very experienced with launch operations, and the upcoming schedule will provide a large degree of coordination, said Froeliger. Intelsat 18 is scheduled for launch later in 2011.

Intelsat 22 and 23 are slated for launch in the first quarter of next year, and Intelsat 19 is also being targeted for launch in the first quarter. Intelsat 20 is on tap for the second quarter, with 21 following in the third quarter.

"In 2012, we plan to have multiple launches occurring at different sites around the world - Baikonur, Kourou and the Sea Launch platform in the Pacific Ocean," Froeliger said. Each site presents a unique set of working conditions. Intelsat will oversee transfer of satellite operations after the spacecraft reaches orbit, and the location of this work varies depending on the satellite manufacturer.

"Everyone is preparing for a busy and exciting 2012," adds Froeliger.