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."
- published: 21 May 2011
- views: 691