Defense News ~ International Launch Services On Friday February 12, 2010, 5:50 am ESTBAIKONUR 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 Intelsat 16 satellite to orbit for Intelsat S.A., the world’s leading provider of fixed satellite services, on an ILS Proton. The ILS Proton vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 6:39 a.m. local time (7:39 p.m. EST, 00:39 GMT). This was the 19th consecutive successful Proton mission in 18 months.
After a 9 hour 34 minute mission, the Breeze M successfully released the Intelsat 16 satellite into a near geostationary orbit. The spacecraft then utilized its on board fuel to maneuver to its geostationary orbit location at 58 degrees West Longitude.
The launch of the Intelsat 16 satellite marks the 1st ILS Proton launch of the year and the 57th commercial launch overall for ILS. It is the second Proton launch in just over two weeks, with the launch of a Federal mission on January 28, 2010. The Proton Breeze M vehicle is built by Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow, one of the pillars of the Russian aerospace industry and majority owner of ILS. Proton has a heritage of over 350 missions since its maiden flight in 1965.
The Intelsat 16 satellite was built on the Star 2.4 platform by Orbital Sciences Corporation has a 16 year life expectancy. The satellite expands Intelsat’s Latin American direct-to-home platform.
Frank McKenna, president of ILS said, “Intelsat is a longtime leader and innovator in the satellite telecommunications industry, having established the first commercial satellite communications system worldwide. We are honored to be launching the first ILS Proton mission of 2010 with Intelsat, with the launch of Intelsat 16. This is the 6th ILS Proton launched for Intelsat and we look forward to delivering quality and unmatched schedule assurance on all of our future missions with Intelsat.”
“ILS and Khrunichev have proven to be valuable partners for Intelsat, supporting our business with on-time launches. The launch of Intelsat 16 has been no exception and we thank the entire team from ILS, Khrunichev, Intelsat and Orbital for their dedication to the mission. We look forward to our continued relationship with ILS and Khrunichev and the upcoming Intelsat launches on ILS Proton,” said Intelsat’s Senior Vice President & Chief Technical Officer, Thierry Guillemin.
About ILS and Khrunichev
ILS is a world leader in providing mission and launch services for global satellite operators and offers 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 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 over 350 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
About Intelsat
Intelsat is the leading provider of fixed satellite services worldwide. For over 45 years, Intelsat has been delivering information and entertainment for many of the world’s leading media and network companies, multinational corporations, Internet Service Providers and governmental agencies. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video, data and voice services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and broadband access, with Intelsat, advanced communications anywhere in the world are closer, by far.
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Intelsat is the leading provider of fixed satellite services worldwide. For over 45 years, Intelsat has been delivering information and entertainment for many of the world’s leading media and network companies, multinational corporations, Internet Service Providers and governmental agencies. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video, data and voice services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and broadband access, with Intelsat, advanced communications anywhere in the world are closer, by far.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6177375&lang=en
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Contact:
Media inquiries:
International Launch Services, Reston
Karen Monaghan,
Director of Communications
+1-571-633-7549
mobile: +1-571-282-5195
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