Clips: Russian Rocket with DirecTV Payload Explodes on SeaLaunch
2 Comments Published by Joel January 31st, 2007 in Gadgets, TV. Share ThisDespite the huge explosion from this Zenit 3SL rocket yesterday—nobody is quite yet sure why it blew—rumor has it that SeaLaunch expects to be able to continue operation from their off-shore launch pad.
Fortunately, no one was hurt. SeaLaunch conducts operations from a ship three miles away from the pad. Unfortunately, the loss of the NSS-8 satellite may delay DirecTV’s new HD channels.
This forum indicates that this payload was not a DirecTV satellite: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=78244
However, since this is how one DirecTV launch was planned for this year, it will probably be delayed. The first satellite launch of DirecTV’s in 2007 was not planned via SeaLaunch.
The satellite on board was from a company called “SES New Skies”: http://www.newskies.com/pressreleases_420.htm
Ouch. Hope they have insurance on that baby!