Sea Launch AG and EchoStar Satellite Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar, have announced that Sea Launch has been identified as the intended launch services provider for the launch of a satellite from the ocean-based Odyssey launch platform in 2015.

Sea Launch's powerful Zenit-3SL vehicle is ideally suited for launching heavyweight-class spacecraft, with multiple restart capability and heavy-lift performance.

Sea Launch's history with EchoStar dates back to 2003. Most recently it launched the EchoStar XI satellite.

Sergey Gugkaev, chief executive officer of Sea Launch, said, "Sea Launch welcomes the opportunity to support EchoStar's launch requirement in 2015."

Kjell Karlsen, president of Sea Launch, added, "We are pleased to extend our relationship with EchoStar and we look forward to providing the required flexibility, performance and diversity of supply necessary to support their business plan."

"This preliminary agreement with Sea Launch provides EchoStar with the flexibility we require to accommodate our launch requirements as we undertake the expansion of our North American fleet," said Anders Johnson, president of EchoStar Satellite Services.

"We have been pleased with Sea Launch's performance on past missions and look forward to continued success."

EchoStar Corporation is a leading global provider of satellite operations and video delivery solutions. EchoStar's wholly-owned subsidiary, Hughes, is the world's leading provider of satellite broadband services, delivering network technologies and managed services for enterprise and government customers in more than 100 countries.