LAUNCH CENTER

Success

Mon Apr 12 1999

Lockheed Martin

Eutelsat W3

Launch Successful

LAUNCH PREVIEW

Launch Time

(10:50 PM UTC)

Launch Window Start

(10:50 PM UTC)

Launch Window End

(10:50 PM UTC)

RECOVERY OVERVIEW

Location

No Recovery Specified

Type

No Recovery Specified

Rocket Details

Name:

Atlas IIAS

Description:

Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II the most reliable launch system in history.

MISSION OVERVIEW

Type: Communications
The W satellites are designed to provide telecommunications services primarily over Europe (Eutelsat W2, W3 and W5) and communication services over Russia and Africa (W4). W2, W3 and W5 are designed to offer 24 transponders at saturation and W4 is designed to provide 31 transponders at saturation. The W satellites have a minimum operational lifetime of 12 years. The spacecraft are based on the Spacebus-3000B2 platform.

COMPLEX OVERVIEW

Location

Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

Pad

Launch Complex 36A