[SatNews] International Launch Services (ILS) announced a contract for the ILS Proton launch of Telesat’s Anik G1 satellite scheduled for the second half of 2012 (See today's SS/L news story regarding the manufacture of this satellite.) Anik G1 will be launched into geostationary orbit on an ILS Proton, carrying 16 transponders operating in the extended Ku-band that will be used by Shaw Direct, a leading provider of DTH satellite TV services in Canada. Anik G1 will also provide expansion and follow-on capacity at 107.3 degrees West covering South America. In addition, Anik G1 will have capacity operating in the X-band frequencies over the Americas and the Pacific Ocean—the first satellite to cover the Pacific Ocean with substantial X-band coverage. To be built by Space Systems/Loral using the flight-proven 1300 platform, Anik G1 is anticipated to have a service lifetime of 15 years.

The Proton vehicle is Russia’s premier heavy lift launcher and is built by Khrunichev Research and Space Production Center of Moscow. Khrunichev is the majority owner of ILS and one of the pillars of the Russian space industry. Proton has a long heritage with 356 launches performed since its inaugural flight in 1965. With Telesat, ILS has launched half of their operational fleet and placed their first direct broadcast digital satellite, Nimiq 1, into orbit over ten years ago.