January 23 – March 4, 2008

Home Port activities:

• Tests of Zenit-2S LV ¹ SL26;
• Operations for Zenit-2S LV ¹ SL27 (donor);
• Tests, filling Block DM-SL ¹26L with high-boiling propellant;
• The spacecraft processing;
• Integrated rehearsal ¹1 with simulation of processing off-nominal situations;
• ILV integration and tests;
• ILV "dry roll-out" (installation on the launch pad and critical launch readiness checklist);
• Loading propellant components and compressed gases into ships.

March 2 – 13,
2008

Launch Platform and Assembly/Command Ship passage to the launch site. Activities in the sea passage phase:

• Integrated rehearsal ¹2;
• Integrated rehearsal ¹3 with comprehensive involvement of all the personnel and practically all standard and borrowed launch support and flight tracking facilities.

Launch site activities:

• Assessment of oceanographic conditions;
• Making the Rocket Segment systems ready for the launch site activities;
• ILV processing;
• Upper Stage processing;
• Launch measurement system activities;
• Integrated tests of the Upper Stage automated flight control system;
• ILV preparation for roll-out to the launch pad;
• Bringing the launch platform into the launch position;
• Bringing the assembly/ command ship into the launch position;
• ILV roll-out and erection on the launch pad;
• ILV electrical checks;
• Critical launch readiness checklist;
• Operations with SC and PLU after performing protective operations in ILV;
• Testing communication channels.

At 1:48 am Moscow Time (March 19, 2008 at 2:48 pm PST) Zenit-3SL ILV ¹ SL26 with the DirecTV 11 SC was launched. All flight operations were performed nominally with minimum deviations from the schedule. The spacecraft was injected into the design orbit. After performing final operations the ships headed for the Home Port.