Intelsat 18

The Orbital-built Intelsat 18 commercial GEO communications satellite was successfully launched aboard a Land Launch Zenit 3SLB rocket October 5, 2011 from the Baikonur Space Center, Kazakhstan.

Intelsat 18 is one of ten Orbital GEOStar-2 communications satellites ordered by Intelsat. The spacecraft carries a hybrid C- and Ku-band payload and will be located at an orbital slot at 180 degrees East Longitude. The satellite's C-band payload will serve Eastern Asia, the Pacific and the Western United States and its Ku-band payload will serve French Polynesia, Eastern Australia and the United States.

About STAR™ Satellites

Orbital's highly successful geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) communications satellites are based on the company's STAR™ spacecraft platform, which is able to accommodate all types of commercial communications payloads and is compatible will all major commercial launchers. The company's STAR product line includes the STAR 2.4 design, which is optimized for smaller satellite missions, generating up to 5.0 kW of payload power. Orbital has also developed the higher-power STAR 2.7 spacecraft design, delivering the next increment of payload power for applications between 5.0 and 7.5 kW, allowing Orbital to offer greater flexibility to its satellite communications customers.

For more information:
Intelsat 18 web page
Intelsat 18 fact sheet
High resolution image
Intelsat web site