Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!STS-134 PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!Ares 1-X PatchThe official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.Apollo CollageThis beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.Project OrionThe Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.Ares 1-X PatchThe official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.Apollo CollageThis beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.Expedition 21The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 21 crew is now available from our stores.Hubble PatchThe official embroidered patch for mission STS-125, the space shuttle's last planned service call to the Hubble Space Telescope, is available for purchase. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.New satellite launched for DISH Network subscribersBY STEPHEN CLARKSPACEFLIGHT NOWPosted: February 15, 2006With a booming burst of fire and smoke, a Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket began its journey toward orbit from the tranquil Pacific Ocean today on a mission to deploy a communications satellite that will become part of DISH Network's space-based broadcasting system. The Zenit rocket lifts off with EchoStar 10. Credit: Sea LaunchLaunch of the 200-foot Zenit 3SL rocket occurred on time at 2335 GMT (6:35 p.m. EST) from the Odyssey launch platform - a retrofitted Norwegian oil-drilling platform. Odyssey was positioned in the central Pacific along the Equator at 154 degrees West longitude, a perfect locale to take advantage of Earth's increased rotation speed at lower latitudes.The liftoff had been postponed for a week after two separate issues plagued the launch team during earlier attempts. First, a hold was called in the final minutes of the countdown last Wednesday because of an undisclosed problem with a ground support system. Strong ocean currents further delayed the launch from the weekend. The rocket had to be lowered from its launch mount twice during the scrubs.On its 19th flight, the modified version of Ukraine's Zenit rocket worked flawlessly. The first two stages of the launcher fired as planned to propel the Block DM upper stage and EchoStar 10 payload into a suborbital trajectory. The Block DM then assumed control of the mission to first put itself into a low parking orbit, then to finish the task of deploying EchoStar 10 in its planned elliptical orbit.It took just over one hour to successfully complete the job of placing the EchoStar 10 spacecraft into its targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit. More than a half-hour later, Earth-bound controllers heard the first signals from the 9,553-pound satellite to confirm the high-powered broadcasting platform was in good health following its fiery launch.EchoStar 10 was delivered into an orbit with a high point of around 22,207 miles, about seven miles higher that the pre-launch predictions, a low point right on the planned mark of 1,047 miles, and an inclination of zero degrees to the Equator. The craft will useon-board thrusters in five burns to gradually nudge its path around theplanet higher until it is circularized at an altitude of 22,300 mileswithin about seven to ten days. An artist's concept shows the EchoStar 10 spacecraft in orbit. Credit: Lockheed MartinThere, EchoStar 10 will maneuver to a testing location where engineerswill put the craft's systems through a series of tests for up to fourweeks. After a successful completion of this checkout period, EchoStar 10will park itself above the Equator at 110 degrees West, where it willappear to hover above a fixed area in the eastern Pacific Ocean. At thatgeosynchronous slot, the satellite will be co-located with EchoStar 6 andEchoStar 8.Expectations are that EchoStar 10 will be deemed operational by lateApril, said EchoStar vice president of satellite programs Rohan Zaveri.Built by Lockheed Martin, EchoStar 10 carries a Ku-band communicationspayload tailored for direct-to-home broadcasting needs. The newsatellite's capability will add to EchoStar's existing lineup of coretelevision channel offerings on the company's DISH Network systemthat currently has a roster of over 12 million customers across the UnitedStates."I would tell our customers to look for good things," Zaveri said in apost-launch TV interview. "It was a great day and a spectacular launch."DISH Network provides hundreds of audio and video channels - ranging fromnational cable networks to local television affiliates - directly tohomes, offices and schools nationwide. EchoStar 10 will work with itsnine counterparts in space to help expand those programming choices overits planned 15-year service life.EchoStar 10 will specifically work to provide programming to individualmarkets across the United States. The spacecraft features 10 uplink spotbeams that will be pointed at six locations inside the continental UnitedStates and four additional sites in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.The satellite's 49 downlink spot beams will be pointed at over four dozenlocations inside the United States, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, according tofilings with the Federal Communications Commission. The Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket begins its flight carrying the EchoStar 10 spacecraft. Credit: Sea Launch"This is our second mission with EchoStar and we are very happy to haveachieved another mission success for DISH Network with EchoStar 10," saidSea Launch president and general manager Jim Maser. "We want tocongratulate EchoStar in their 25th anniversary year and their 10th yearof DISH Network, providing outstanding satellite TV service to householdsacross the United States.""We are pleased with the success of the launch mission and want to thankSea Launch and Lockheed Martin for their efforts for launching oursatellite," Zaveri said in post-launch remarks. "We look forward totesting and use of the satellite within the next few months."Wednesday's launch was the first of 2006 for Sea Launch - an internationallaunch services provider formed in 1995 by Boeing, RSC Energia, theUkrainian rocket-builders Yuzhnoye and Yuzhmash, and Norwegianship-builder Kvaerner. Five more missions are planned for this year, SeaLaunch says."Like our colleagues in the launch industry, we are excited at theprospect of a promising upturn in the launch services market," Maser said.Sea Launch flew four times last year, and added nine new commercialcontracts to its ever-growing backlog.Telescopes.comLargest selection and the best prices anywhere in the world. Free shipping on select items. is the largest dealer of both Meade and Celestron Telescopes. Visit or call toll free 1-800-303-5873.Return to Flight crew patchThe official mission STS-114 emblem for space shuttle Discovery's seven astronauts includes a tribute to Columbia.Choose your store: - - - Ares 1-X PatchThe official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.Apollo CollageThis beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.Expedition 21The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 21 crew is now available from our stores.Hubble PatchThe official embroidered patch for mission STS-125, the space shuttle's last planned service call to the Hubble Space Telescope, is available for purchase. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Rocket stands up Posted: January 30, 2007 The Zenit 3SL rocket stands atop the Odyssey launch platform in preparation for liftoff carrying the NSS 8 spacecraft. Credit: Sea Launch?John Glenn Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The historic first orbital flight by an American is marked by this commemorative patch for John Glenn and Friendship 7.Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is available in our store. Get this piece of history!Celebrate the shuttle programFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This special commemorative patch marks the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. Available in our store!Anniversary Shuttle PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.Mercury anniversaryFree shipping to U.S. addresses!Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Sea Launch assesses status and plans for next stepsSEA LAUNCH NEWS RELEASE