XM Satellite Radio announced the successful launch of its first satellite, XM "Rock." Liftoff occurred at 5:33 PM EST off the Sea Launch Odyssey Launch Platform in open waters of the Pacific Ocean on the equator. The first signals from the satellite were captured by a ground station in Australia at 6:43 PM EST as planned."[This] flawless launch puts one of the final pieces in place to kick off XM's revolutionary new radio service on schedule this summer," states XM president and CEO Hugh Panero. "We now have a satellite in the sky, XM-ready radios on retail shelves, our chipsets in production, and our state-of-the-art broadcast studio humming. First there was AM, then FM, and now XM. Radio will never be the same."
All three XM satellites -- "Rock," "Roll," which is also built, and a spare in its final testing phase -- are Boeing 702 models, the most powerful commercial satellites ever made, manufactured by industry leader Boeing Satellite Systems, a business of the Boeing Company. The Sea Launch Company, an international partnership, is the world's only ocean-based commercial launch service provider, offering the most direct and cost-effective route to transfer orbit.
Rock launched from 154 degrees West Longitude. Its final position will be at 115 degrees West Longitude. A 200-foot Zenit-3SL rocket lifted the 10,284 lb. (4,666 kg) digital audio radio satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit. Roll will launch in early May, also from Sea Launch's platform in the Pacific. Rock and Roll will both operate in geostationary orbit above the United States. By using two powerful satellites, each with the same nationwide coverage, XM will ensure maximum signal and system reliability.
Link for more info: www.xmradio.com
