Boeing [NYSE: BA] has acquired the first signals from the Thuraya-3 Geo-mobile satellite following today's launch aboard a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket, indicating that the Boeing-built spacecraft for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company is healthy and operating as designed.

A ground station in Fillmore, Calif., successfully acquired signals from the commercial communications satellite approximately 1 hour, 51 minutes after liftoff.

"Today marks the beginning of what will be a long and successful mission for this Thuraya satellite," said Howard Chambers, vice president of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "The Thuraya-3 spacecraft will be ready to serve key markets for our customer following a thorough on-orbit check-out that will last about 28 days. Today's successful launch is an example of exceptional program execution on the part of Thuraya, Boeing and Sea Launch engineers. As with all Boeing satellites, Thuraya-3 was built on a foundation of mission assurance and quality, and we look forward to the coming weeks as we prepare the satellite to enter service for Thuraya."

Thuraya-3 is the third satellite Boeing has built for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company. Boeing technology has helped Thuraya provide mobile satellite services to more than 110 countries inhabited by 2.3 billion people. Thuraya-3 will expand that service to include markets in Japan, China, Australia and Korea.

The Thuraya satellites enable mobile telephone services, transmitting and receiving calls through each satellite's 12.25-meter-aperture reflector. Calls are routed directly from one handheld unit to another, or to a terrestrial network. The system has the capacity for 25,120 simultaneous voice circuits.