The Russian-U.S. Land Launch medium-lift rocket is expected to enter service this spring, following the return to flight last week of the Sea Launch Zenit-3SL heavy-lifter from which it is derived. But doubts remain. Sea Launch lifted off from its floating Pacific Ocean launch pad at 11:49 a.m. GMT Jan. 15, placing the Thuraya-3 mobile communications satellite into orbit. The mission ended a year-long shutdown following a launch explosion on Jan. 30, 2007, that destroyed an SES New Skies telecom satellite, NSS-8.
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