ILS:
PRESS RELEASE
Friday, August 19, 2011
RUSSIAN FEDERAL MISSION EXPRESS-AM4 ANOMALY INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY
On August 18, at 3:25 a.m., a Proton Breeze M vehicle carrying the Express-AM4 satellite launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Proton M launch vehicle performed nominally, and the ascent unit including the Breeze M upper stage and the spacecraft separated at the appropriate time. Contact with the Breeze M and spacecraft was lost after the fourth burn of the Breeze M upper stage. Roscosmos specialists were able to locate the Breeze M Upper Stage. Efforts are now underway to establish contact with the Express-AM4 spacecraft.
A Russian State Commission of inquiry has been established and has begun the process of determining the reasons for the anomaly. ILS will release details when data become available. In parallel with the State Commission, ILS will form its own Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB). The FROB will review the commission’s final report and corrective action plan, in accordance with U.S. and Russian government export control regulations.
ILS remains committed to providing reliable, timely launch services for all its customers. To this end, ILS will work diligently with its partner Khrunichev to return Proton to flight as soon as possible.
Further updates will be provided on the investigation as they become available.
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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 365 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.