NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
International Space Flight (ESA, Russia, China and others) => Russian Launchers - Soyuz, Progress and Uncrewed => Topic started by: anik on 12/24/2008 03:04 pm
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ILS TO MARK 50TH PROTON LAUNCH IN FIRST QUARTER 2009 WITH EUTELSAT W2A SATELLITE; Additional Eutelsat Mission to follow in 2010
http://www.ilslaunch.com/news-12230
RESTON, Va., Dec. 23, 2008 – International Launch Services (ILS) and Eutelsat Communications S.A. have set a first quarter 2009 launch date for the W2A satellite, which will be the 50th commercial Proton launch for ILS as well as its first mission of the new year. In addition, the companies announced a new contract under which ILS will launch another Eutelsat mission in 2010. That payload is not yet named.
These announcements come on the heels of the successful Dec. 10 launch of the ILS Proton Breeze M from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. That mission, with the Ciel II satellite, was the sixth ILS launch of the year and the 4th successful mission in 4 months’ time.
Eutelsat contracted with ILS in 2007 to launch one of its W series satellites on the Proton Breeze M vehicle. W2A was designated as the payload in November 2008. The Proton vehicle is Russia’s premier heavy-lift launcher and is built by Khrunichev Space Center, the majority owner of ILS.
The W2A satellite, built by ThalesAleniaSpace, is a Spacebus 4000 C4 model, similar to the Ciel II satellite just launched. The W2A spacecraft will carry three payloads, including the first S-band payload for Europe. This feature will launch the Solaris Mobile communications service across the continent. Solaris Mobile is a joint venture between SES ASTRA and Eutelsat Communications. The W2A C-band and Ku-band payloads will provide Europe and North Africa with an array of direct-to-home and business services.
Frank McKenna, president of International Launch Services, said: “ILS is committed to providing Eutelsat with top-quality launch services and the same precise, on-time delivery that all our customers rely upon and expect. W2A will be our first satellite launched in 2009 and our 50th overall. We are proud to be celebrating this significant milestone with Eutelsat’s W2A mission.”
“We are pleased to renew our relationship with ILS for a launch on the powerful Proton booster. The flexibility and schedule adherence that ILS offers and delivers is absolutely essential. This contract gives important added assurance of access to space for our satellite launch program”, said Giuliano Berretta, Chairman and CEO of Eutelsat.
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ILS TO MARK 50TH PROTON LAUNCH IN FIRST QUARTER 2009 WITH EUTELSAT W2A SATELLITE; Additional Eutelsat Mission to follow in 2010
http://www.ilslaunch.com/news-12230
...In addition, the companies announced a new contract under which ILS will launch another Eutelsat mission in 2010. That payload is not yet named.
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Probably, Eutelsat W3B or KA-SAT
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Today at night at Tyura-Tam station, arrived the train, which delivered the Proton-M-rocket, intended for the commercial launch.
After the fulfillment of the necessary customs procedures, the composition with the rocket was sent to area 92.
The rocket is intended to use, together with the Briz-M upper-stage, for the liftoff of a foreign telecommunication satellite into the geostationary orbit.
Sequential launch is planned for the second-half of the spring of 2009.
The rocket is made by the Moscow state space scientific and industrial center "Khrunicheva.
Also it is one of "best in their class" carriers; it is characterized by reliability and technological effectiveness.
Launches of the first modification of rocket are conducted from the middle of the 60's of past century.
In all, the Proton has more than 300 launches.
In 2001 began the flight tests of the "Proton-M" - the modernization of the "Proton-K".
Modernized version is characterized by higher ecological characteristics, numerical system of control and modernized engines.
Due to an improvement in the energy characteristics, the load capacity of rocket grew, now on it places in orbit more weighting payloads.
Press service FKZ "Baykonur"
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5360
Soeren
edit:
On ILS´s page I found the information about the launch, for which the rocket was delivered to Baikonur.
http://www.ilslaunch.com/news020609
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Topic about the Eutelsat W2A launch was opened before. http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=15379.0
(Thanks, I have forgotten about first topic and now merged both topics - anik)
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Anik, thanks for merging the different threads into one.
I did not found earlier information about a next ILS-launch, or a previous thread about it. ;-).
Soeren
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The launch-team has arrived in Baikonur.
some facts:
• Launch Date: Mar. 28, 2009 22:29 Baikonur / 12:29 EDT/ 16:29 GMT
• Satellite Provider: Thales Alenia Space
• Satellite Operator: Eutelsat
• Purpose: Mobile Multimedia Broadcast Services
http://www.ilslaunch.com/w2a-mission-control
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RD-276 engines on first stage and 48-degree initial inclination
http://www.ilslaunch.com/assets/pdf/W2A-MO-final.pdf
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On February 28, the W2A satellite was delivered to Baikonur, for the preparation of the start with the Proton-M.
The day before, the basic groups of specialists from the foreign and Russian organizations - participants in the starting company arrived.
W2A is developed and produced by the French department of the French-Italian company "Thales Alenia Space" to order of the global operator of the satellite communication Eutelsat (Paris, France).
Contract to the liftoff with the use of the Proton-M with the Breeze-M upperstage concluded the company "International launch services" (ILS).
Liftoff must take place in the month, at the end of March. This will be the 50th commercial launch of the Proton within the framework of ILS´ activity.
Today in the clean hall of the assembly and testing housing 92A-50, the specialists TAS began the first series of the planned electrical checkings of the sat.
There, on the technical complex, the start command of Khrunichev (developer and the producer of rocket and upperstage) now conducts the regular testings of the rocket and prepared the beginning works with it, which tomorrow must be delivered to the spaceport.
For Khrunichev the campaign with W2A, is the third, with the use of the Proton-rocket in 2009.
In February this year took place immediately two successful launchings of this carrier (within the framework of the federal space program, also, in the interests of Defense Ministry).
W2A will enter into the orbital group of the operator "Eutelsat Cmmunications".
Press center Khrunichev
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5559
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On March 4, 2009 the an "Polet" aircraft AN-100 “Ruslan” delivered from Sheremet'yevo Airport (Moscow) to the airfield “Yubilyeny” at Baikonur, the "Briz-M" upper stage for the Proton-M rocket.
Sequential transportation of the upper stage is realized in order of "Khrunichev".
The launch of the “Proton-M” with the “Briz-M” upper stage is outlined for the end of March.
2009 is an anniversary for the airline “Polet”. In June will be carried out 10 years from the moment of the signing of the general agreement between Roskosmos and "Polet" about the designation by its general ferryman of federal Space Agency RF.
In 10 years, the aircraft of airline transported 70 automatic spacecrafts, produced at the leading enterprises in the space field of Russia - "Khrunichev", "NPO Lavochkin", "NPO Energo-Mash" and "RKK Energya”.
Information service "Polet"
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5577
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(originally posted by the ILS Launch Team, 7:55 a.m. EST on 6 March 2009)
Launch Preparation Continues
Stand alone operations are ongoing for Thales and KhSC.
While Thales performs electrical and mechanical Spacecraft checkouts in H103A, KhSC works in H101 to prepare for operations on the Breeze-M which arrived at Yubileiny and was transported by truck to 92A-50 on 4 Mar.
The Launch vehicle is finishing pneumatic testing and after cleaning and testing, the payload fairing halves are resting in storage until integration.
RUAG specialists are scheduled to arrive within the week to begin work on the separation system.
Coordination meetings between the teams are increasing in frequency and duration which means the Spacecraft and payload adaptor fitcheck is just on the horizon.
http://www.ilslaunch.com/w2a-blog
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Launch date changed to March 30, 16:27 UTC.
http://www.ilslaunch.com/w2a-mission-control
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http://www.kt.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153479879
The fuelling of high pressure tanks of Briz-M upper stage by propellants has begun today.
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http://www.federalspace.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5648
The fuelling of high pressure tanks of Briz-M upper stage by propellants has finished today.
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At the spaceport Baikonur continues the preparation for the liftoff of the
Proton-M with the Briz-M upper stage and and the European telecommunication satellite Eutelsat W2A.
The autonomous tests of the W2A-satellite were successfully completed.
Today in the assembly and test building in area 92A-50, the teams of foreign specialists with the support of the colleagues of Khrunichev approached servicing the propellant components of the "engine installation". (?)
In the same assembly and test building the teams of the specialists of Roskosmos conducted the tests of the Briz-M upper stage.
The launch of Eutelsat W2A is planned on March 28, 2009.
Press service Roskosmos
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5663
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The launch of Eutelsat W2A is planned on March 28, 2009.
ILS are still saying 30 March.
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"ILS are still saying 30 March."
Yes, I also think, that this is the "correct" launch-date.
I only made a translation, without thinking about the new launch-date. (sorry!) ;-)
Soeren
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Spacecraft Fuel Loading is completed.
Also some photos are available.
http://www.ilslaunch.com/w2a-mission-control
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Launch postponed to early April.
http://vz.ru/news/2009/3/20/267336.html
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I was told new launch date is April 4.
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I was told new launch date is April 4
Correction from http://www.ilslaunch.com/w2a-mission-control
Launch - April 3, 16:24 UTC.
Media Advisory: ILS PROTON TO LAUNCH W2A
http://www.ilslaunch.com/news-032309x
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"Joint Operations Continue"
http://www.ilslaunch.com/
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27-03-2009 In Baikonur is completed assembling the rocket with Eutelsat W2A
At the spaceport Baikonur continues the preparation for the liftoff of
the Proton-M with the Briz-M upper stage and the European telecommunication satellite Eutelsat W2A.
Yesterday in the assembly and test building in the area 92A-50 the teams of Russian specialists completed assembling the rocket, after mating to the carrier rocket the space head part (Eutelsat W2A under the nose fairing and upper stage “Briz-M”).
The electrical checkings of connections were executed after the completion of assembling.
The joint reviews of space rocket today are conducted and preparation for the transportation of rocket to the technical servicing station, where will be carried out servicing the low pressure tanks of the upper stage, occurs.
The launch is planned on April 3, 2009.
Press service of Roskosmos
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5785
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Today in the assembly and test building in area 92A-50 the teams of the specialists of enterprises in the space field of Russia, conduct the transfer of the rocket from the work site, where it passed overall assembling, to the transporter-erector aggregate.
The supercharging of tanks will be executed after the completion of transfer.
After the completion of work, the rocket will be transported to the technical servicing station for servicing the low pressure tanks of the Briz-M upper stage.
Launch is planned on April 3, 2009.
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5799
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http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5811
The fuelling of low pressure tanks of Briz-M upper stage by propellants has begun today.
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30-03-2009 state commission made a decision about transporting the Proton-M to the launch site
At the spaceport Baikonur is completed the preparation for the transport to the launch site.
Today at 14 hours Moscow time, at the spaceport began the session of state commission, at which were supplied the sums of the missile preparation of space application, readiness of the teams of spaceport and objects of ground-based space infrastructure for performing of work on the launching system.
State commission made the decision to conduct tomorrow in the morning the removal of rocket to the launch site in area 200.
The transport of the rocket from the technical servicing station to the launch site will begin at 4.30 Moscow time.
The launch is planned for 20 hours 24 minutes Moscow time on April 3, 2009.
Press service of Roskosmos
http://www.tsenki.com/NewsDoSeleFed.asp?NEWSID=5820
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According to the mission-update, fueling of the Briz-M upper stage is completed.
http://www.ilslaunch.com/w2a-mission-control
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31-03-2009 Proton-M is established on the launch system
This morning, at the spaceport Baikonur, the rocket was transported to the launch site.
The transportation of rocket from the technical servicing station to the launch site began at 4.30 Moscow time.
At 7.20 (Mst), the rocket was delivered to the launch site in area 200 and at 8.20 (Mst), the rocket was established to the vertical position on the launch pad.
After the supply of mobile service boom the teams of Roskosmos will begin works according to the plan of the first starting day.
The launch is planned for 20.24 Moscow time on April 3, 2009.
Press service Roskosmos
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5824
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Detailed info about launch from Khrunichev website:
http://coopi.khrunichev.ru/eng/pl_pusk.htm
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Video: LV Proton-M with SC EutelSat W2A raised on the launch pad.
http://www.tvroscosmos.ru/frm/video/start43.php
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Video: LV Proton-M with SC EutelSat W2A raised on the launch pad.
http://www.tvroscosmos.ru/frm/video/start43.php
Interesting note: on the tvroskosmos page the Proton-M is designated 8M82M. Is this an error or is this the designation of the uprated version of the Proton-M (usually the designation was 8K82KM).
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Yes, it's an error. GRAU index of Proton-M is 8K82KM.
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Yes, it's an error. GRAU index of Proton-M is 8K82KM.
I have seen both designations used before. My understanding is that they can be used interchangeably, but I don't really know.
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Well, I else can understand using 8K82M, instead of correct 8K82KM, but 8M82M is 101% error.
8 - GRAU department #
K - rocket complex
8 - Chelomei OKB-52
2 - # product (1 was UR200)
K - space destination(new 3d stage)
M - modernized
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Moved for live coverage
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Watch the launch live:
:: Via the Internet
http://www.ktprod.com/ils040309/
:: HOT BIRD™ at 13° East
Frequency: 10.853 GHz
Horizontal polarisation
Symbol rate: 27500
DVB-S (QPSK)
FEC 3/4
MPEG-2 / PAL
:: Sesat 1 at 36° East
Frequency: 11.0975 GHz
Horizontal Polarisation
Symbol rate: 5.632 Msymbol/s
DVB-S (QPSK)
FEC 3/4
MPEG-2 / PAL
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Launch time?
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Launch time?
1624UTC
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L-45 minutes I make it.
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Webcast to start in 19 minutes
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Proton-M on the pad at Baykonur
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Another view of the Proton-M/Briz-M with W2A at Baykonur.
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Nice Proton-M on PU-39 at complex LC200
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ILS is now live...
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50th Proton ILS launch
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Eutelsat W2A...
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Poster for this launch...
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Good work with the caps Rui :)
For those wondering why there isn't a launch preview on site. We're going to include this into the Atlas V preview article as a post launch item later (as there wasn't really all that much more than some presser materials - included in this thread - and you'd be reading the same thing twice if we had created a standalone article from that).
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L-7 mins
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RD-276 engines on the first stage for this flight
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Five burn launch profile for the Briz-M
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T-120 seconds.
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-2 minutes
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90 seconds
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T-60 seconds.
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60 seconds
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30 seconds
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10 seconds
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LAUNCH. First stage flight.
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T+30 seconds. Rolling.
Engine pressure and flight nominal.
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T+60 seconds MaxQ.
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L+60 seconds, 10 kilometres altitude, 4.7 kilometres downrange
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T+2 mins.
1-2 Sep .
Second Stage ignition.
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All four second stage engines nominal.
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Jim Bonner making a big point about vehicle quality. I like his office!
2-3 Sep coming up in a few mins.
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2-3 Sep confirmed as is payload fairing jettison.
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3rd stage shutdown, and sep. First burn for five minutes of the Breeze-M next, prior to coast phase.
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This Solaris mobile the bird will be serving seems pretty nifty. Sounds like you'll be able to get high quality telly into your car or phone.
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Breeze-M first burn cutoff pending confirmation.
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Breeze-M first of five burns completed. LOS for one hour.
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Ohh, it seems, that I´m to late. :-(
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Ohh, it seems, that I´m to late. :-(
Don't dispare... We are spoiled today.. We have TWO launches to look forward to (well one is done). We have Atlas going tonight... :)
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Ohh, it seems, that I´m to late. :-(
Short clip in Vesti news.
http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=271143
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Proton-M Launch from TVroscosmos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puP5myzfYdQ&feature=channel_page
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A high resolution launch photo is now available on the ILS site in here (http://www.ilslaunch.com/assets/pictures/original/w2alaunch.JPG)
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ILS Proton Successfully Launches W2A Satellite; The 50th ILS Proton Launch
BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- International Launch Services (ILS), a world leader in providing mission and launch services to the commercial space industry, successfully carried the W2A satellite to orbit for Eutelsat Communications of France on an ILS Proton. The Proton vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 10:24 p.m. local time (12:24 p.m. EDT, 16:24 GMT).
The launch of the W2A satellite marks the first ILS launch of the year and the 50th commercial launch overall for ILS; a significant milestone. The Proton Breeze M vehicle is built by Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow and has a heritage of 344 missions since its inception.
The W2A spacecraft built by ThalesAleniaSpace, is a Spacebus 4000 C4 model and carried three payloads including the first S-band payload for Europe. The W2A C-band and Ku-band payloads for Eutelsat will provide Europe, Africa and the Middle East with an array of professional video and business services. Solaris Mobile is a joint venture between SES Astra and Eutelsat. The satellite, the 27th in the Eutelsat fleet, will be operated at Eutelsat’s 10 degrees East location, an orbital location used by Eutelsat for over 20 years.
Frank McKenna, President of International Launch Services, said, “This 50th ILS launch marked an important milestone for ILS. ILS Proton for W2A met Eutelsat’s vital schedule requirements with unique flexibility. This ILS capability ensured the landmark delivery of the first S-band service for Europe. We thank our long term customer Eutelsat for relying on ILS and Proton to contribute to the ongoing success of their business.”
“Eutelsat congratulates ILS on its 50th Proton launch; we are pleased to share the honor of this important occasion. ILS was able launch within our critical timeframe allowing us to expand and diversify our in-orbit resources. We extend our sincere thanks to ILS and their partner, Khrunichev, for a professionally executed and successful launch campaign," said Giuliano Berretta, Chairman and CEO of Eutelsat.
ILS has exclusive rights to market the Proton, Russia’s premier heavy-lift vehicle, to commercial satellite operators worldwide. ILS is a U.S. company located in Reston, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. The majority owner is Khrunichev Space Center, one of the cornerstones of the Russian space industry and manufacturer of the Proton system. For more information, visit www.ilslaunch.com.
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A full webcast can be seen at:
http://www.ktprod.com/ils040309/
(launch event)
Also ILS has a "launch-highlights" video.
http://www.ilslaunch.com/w2a-launch-highlights
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A big thank you to all of your guys for the coverage. And congratulations to the team with another successful launch.
Hi-Res pictures are awesome!
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Images from Roskosmos...