Boeing has received the first on-orbit signals from Intelsat 22, the first of a series of 702MP (medium power) satellites it is delivering for Intelsat. The signals indicate that Intelsat 22 is healthy and ready to begin orbit raising maneuvers to geostationary orbit followed by operational testing.

Intelsat 22 launched on an International Launch Services Proton M / Breeze M vehicle, manufactured by Khrunichev, at 8:10 a.m. Eastern time on March 25 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Controllers at Boeing's Mission Control Center in El Segundo received initial contact from the spacecraft 15 hours and 40 minutes later and confirmed it is functioning normally.

"I would like to congratulate the teams from International Launch Services, Khrunichev, Boeing and Intelsat on a job well done, ensuring an on-time launch and precise delivery to transfer orbit for this critical mission," said Thierry Guillemin, Intelsat senior vice president and chief technical officer.

Intelsat 22 is Boeing's first 702MP spacecraft, which represents the company's expansion into the medium-sized satellite market. An evolution of Boeing's 702 satellite, the 702MP uses proven technology and a modular design approach to enable faster delivery at a lower cost. Intelsat 22 also carries a government-hosted payload.

"Specially designed for the Australian Defence Force, the UHF payload on Intelsat 22 is a great example of how governments can save time and money by partnering with commercial industry for their communications needs," said Guillemin.

"This satellite will also prove to be tremendously valuable to our customers in the maritime and aeronautical sectors, who will benefit from its custom-tailored Ku-band mobility beams."

Following a sequence of orbital maneuvers and on-orbit tests, Intelsat 22 will be placed into geosynchronous Earth orbit, operating in a 72 degrees east longitude orbital slot over the Indian Ocean.

"The launch of our first 702MP for Intelsat builds on a partnership that spans more than 40 years," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems.

"In addition to the Intelsat 22 commercial payload that will deliver services in C- and Ku-band, the hosted payload will provide the Australian Defence Force with much-needed service at less cost and in a fraction of the time it typically takes to deliver a traditional military satellite."

Other 702MP satellites currently under construction by Boeing for Intelsat are Intelsat 21, scheduled to launch in the third quarter of this year, and Intelsat 27, scheduled to be completed in 2012 for launch in the first quarter of 2013.

Intelsat 27 will carry a UHF hosted payload and offer 20 25-KHz UHF channels capable of serving the U.S. government and other Intelsat clients around the world.