Ukrainian rocket puts U.S. satellite into orbit

The Ukrainian Yuzhnoye Design Bureau said Thursday that its Zenit-3SLB carrier rocket has successfully put a U.S.-built satellite into orbit. The Zenit-3SLB, which was developed for land-based launches by Yuzhnoye, is a modified version of the three-staged Zenit-3SL, which was used on floating platforms in the Pacific Ocean. The satellite, Intelsat-18, was built by U.S.-based Orbital Sciences Corporation with a launch weight of 3,200 kg. It will provide telecommunications services for 15 years to the United States, Australia, French Polynesia and East Asia among other countries and regions.