23 Nov 2009 Intelsat announced that an Atlas V rocket provided by United Launch Alliance successfully launched the Intelsat 14 satellite (IS-14). Liftoff of the Atlas V 431 configuration booster occurred at 1:55 a.m. ET, followed by signal acquisition and spacecraft separation nearly two hours later at 3:53 a.m. ET. The satellite, built by Space Systems/Loral, will provide high-powered data services through its C- and Ku-band payload to Intelsat customers throughout Latin America, Europe and Africa. Once IS-14 is operational, it will replace Intelsat's 1R satellite at 315º E, providing customers with capacity that has a useful life slated to last the next 16 years. "IS-14 kicks off our 11-satellite investment campaign, the largest in our company's history. This satellite provides capacity for our growing network services and government customers," said Dave McGlade, Intelsat CEO. "Our customers use our infrastructure as an essential component to deliver in-demand services that include cellular backhaul to enable wireless communications in remote regions, broadband networks for enterprise and oil and gas applications, and IP trunking services for Internet connectivity." IS-14 Carries IRIS Hosted Payload The spacecraft also carries a hosted payload for the Internet Router in Space, or IRIS program, for Cisco. "We believe IRIS will extend broadband services on demand in the sky. The Cisco IRIS payload will merge communications received on various frequency bands and transmit them to multiple users," said Steve Boutelle, Vice President, Cisco Global Government Solutions Group. "Once in service, the IRIS payload will support network services for voice, video and data communications, enabling U.S. military units and allied forces to communicate with one another using Internet Protocol (IP) and existing ground equipment." "Such hosted payload programs are prime examples of how governments can take advantage of commercial platforms to meet long-term communication requirements in an economical way," said Kay Sears, President, Intelsat General Corp.