LIVE: Proton-M launch with Telstar 14R satellite - May 20, 2011

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[Salo]

Else.

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Briz-M second burn and Briz-M tank separation after Briz-M third burn

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Intermediate orbit:
nominal: 269.86 x 4999.86km 50°17'60"
observed: 270.52 x 5000.22km 50°18'8"

[Chris Bergin]

Congrats!

ILS PROTON SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES TELESAT’s
TELSTAR 14R/ESTRELA DO SUL 2 SATELLITE

 

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, May 21, 2011 – International Launch Services (ILS), a world leader in providing mission and launch services to the commercial satellite industry, successfully carried Telstar 14R/Estrela do Sul 2 into orbit today on an ILS Proton for Telesat, a leading global fixed satellite services operator.

 

The ILS Proton Breeze M launched from Pad 39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 1:15 a.m. today local time (19:15 GMT, 3:15 p.m. EDT, on May 20). After a 9 hour 13 minute mission, the Breeze M successfully released the satellite, weighing approximately 5 metric tons, into geostationary transfer orbit. This was the 364th launch for the Proton vehicle since its inaugural flight in 1965.

 

Telesat’s Telstar 14R/Estrela do Sul 2 satellite was built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) on the SS/L 1300 platform and replaces Telstar 14/Estrela do Sul at the orbital location of 63 degrees West. Telstar 14R will provide long term service for Brazil, the Continental United States (including the Gulf of Mexico and Northern Caribbean), the Southern Cone of South America, the Andean region (including Central America and Southern Caribbean), and the North and Mid-Atlantic Ocean. The satellite’s Atlantic beam will expand on the Atlantic Ocean Region capacity now provided by Telstar 14 and Telstar 11N, and secure Telesat’s position as a leader in mobile broadband for maritime and aeronautical customers operating in the Atlantic.

 

ILS President Frank McKenna said, “We knew how critical it was to launch Telstar 14R on schedule to replace Telstar 14 for Telesat. With the early delivery of the satellite by Space Systems/Loral, ILS and Khrunichev were able to provide the flexibility needed to integrate and launch Telstar 14R well before the expected timeframe. ILS has two upcoming Proton missions with Telesat: Nimiq 6 and Anik G1, both scheduled for launch in 2012. We look forward to continuing to work with Telesat and delivering exceptional value to support their plans for expansion and growth.”

 

“ILS and Khrunichev executed another flawless on-orbit launch, which was our seventh on ILS Proton,” said President and CEO of Telesat, Dan Goldberg. “Telstar 14R/Estrela do Sul 2 is an important satellite for our customers operating in the Americas and the North Atlantic Ocean, regions where demand for high-powered Ku-band capacity continues to grow. I am extremely grateful for the expertise, professionalism and teamwork of Telesat, ILS, Khrunichev, and Space Systems/Loral that resulted in a successful launch of our newest satellite well ahead of schedule.” 

 

 

About ILS and Khrunichev

ILS is a world leader in providing launch services for global satellite operators offering a complete array of services and support, from contract signing through mission management and on-orbit delivery.  ILS has exclusive rights to market the Proton vehicle to commercial satellite operators worldwide and is a U.S. company headquartered in Reston, Va., near Washington, D.C.  For more information, visit www.ilslaunch.com.

 

Khrunichev, which holds the majority interest in ILS, is one of the cornerstones of the Russian space industry. Khrunichev manufactures the Proton system and is developing the Angara launch system. The Proton launches from facilities at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and has a heritage of 364 missions since 1965. Khrunichev includes among its branches, a number of key manufacturers of launch vehicle and spacecraft components in Moscow and in other cities of the Russian Federation.  For more information, visit www.khrunichev.com.

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Intermediate transfer orbit
nominal: 424.86 x 35798.84 km 49°6'0"
observed: 425.83 x 35796.57 km 49°5'25"

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Satellite separation took place 9h 12' 45" after lift-off.

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Satellite separation

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Target (GTO) orbit
nominal: 8850.62 x 35785.86 km 13°48'15"
observed: 8771.29 x 35786.31 km 13°42'47" 

Now corresponding to OBJECT B 2011-021B/37603                   

[Satori]

Amazing launch videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbciwugzlIM&feature=player_embedded#at=184

[satlaunch]

According to http://www.loral.com/inthenews/040113.html

the original Telstar 14 didn't fully deploy its antennas solar arrays, so a replacement is needed.

Telstar-14R suffers same problem.

http://www.spacenews.com/satellite_telecom/110525-stuck-array-telesat-samerica-push.html

The Telstar 14R/Estrela do Sul 2 telecommunications satellite launched May 21 has failed to deploy one of its two solar arrays, a defect that, if permanent, will curtail owner Telesat Canada’s growth plans in South America, Telesat and satellite builder Space Systems/Loral announced May 25.

The satellite’s south array has fully deployed and is providing power, but the north array has not. Ottawa-based Telesat said that if the situation is not corrected, Telstar 14R will be able to provide “at a minimum” the same level of service of the satellite it is replacing, the Telstar 14/Estrela do Sol spacecraft launched in 2004.

[Danderman]

If there were only some system that could connect to this sat and provide power.

[vt_hokie]

Unfortunately, aside from the power issue, the assymmetric configuration results in unbalanced torques and increased propellant usage. Also, an undeployed array will likely render some thrusters unusable. All in all, just a huge headache!

[osiossim]

Balky Satellite Solar Panel Threatens Telesat’s Growth Plans in S. America

http://www.spacenews.com/satellite_telecom/110525-stuck-array-telesat-samerica-push.html

Is there any development on this issue?

[input~2]

Apparently, the perigee started to be raised on May 30.
AFAIK, no recent news on solar array status.

[synchrotron]

Deployment cable snagged. Then snapped. Some array broke away. Remainder is in unusable configuration:
http://www.spacenews.com/satellite_telecom/110819-cable-clip-telstar-failure.html

[kevin-rf]

New update, pointing to the same reason failure as Telstar 14 and Intelsat 19.

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/hyperbola/2013/01/obscure-solar-array-failure-du.html