Boeing

On behalf of the Sea Launch team, Jim Maser, president of the Sea Launch Company, accepted the 2005 California Space Authority (CSA) SpotBeam Award for International Space on December 2. The award was presented at a dinner in Los Angeles, following a two-day CSA conference.

With 17 successful missions since operations began in 1999, Sea Launch was cited as "a fantastic example of a successful international partnership." The CSA SpotBeam Award program recognizes California space stakeholders who make extraordinary contributions to California's leadership in the United States and international space arenas.

Sea Launch is a partnership of companies from the United States (Boeing), Russia RSC Energia), Norway (Kvaerner ASA) and Ukraine (SDO Yuzhnoye/PO Yuzhmash). In April 2005, Sea Launch celebrated its 10th Anniversary since its founding in 1995 to provide an efficient, affordable and reliable commercial satellite launch service for heavy spacecraft up to 6000 kg. From analytical integration to spacecraft encapsulation to vehicle integration to automated launch processing, the Sea Launch partnership provides a complete launch service package, backed by a half century of experience and best practices.

Upon accepting the prestigious CSA award, Maser noted that the efforts and accomplishments of the world's most internationally integrated launch team demonstrate the tremendous feats that can be achieved through global cooperation, serving a global market, for the growth of global communications.

"I want to thank the California Space Authority for recognizing Sea Launch with the International Award," Maser said. "I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the Sea Launch team.

"To put the words 'international cooperation' in perspective, Maser said, "consider our recent launch of the Inmarsat-4 satellite… This satellite was manufactured in Toulouse, France, by EADS Astrium; flown to Long Beach on a Russian Antonov 124 cargo plane; taken to the Equator by Norwegian and Fillipino mariners, launched by Russian, Ukrainian and American rocket scientists and engineers for Inmarsat, a company based in London, to inaugurate their Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) services that will offer up to 500 kbps covering up to 90% of the of the Earth's land mass. Thomas Friedman is right -- the world is flat."

Sea Launch Company, LLC, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., is the world's most reliable heavy-lift commercial launch service. This international partnership offers the most direct and cost-effective route to geostationary orbit. With the advantage of a launch site on the Equator, the reliable Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier spacecraft mass or provide longer life on orbit, offering best value plus schedule assurance. For additional information, visit the Sea Launch website at: http://www.sea-launch.com/.