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ILS Proton Successfully Launches Eutelsat's Hot Bird 8 Broadcast Satellite |
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BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, Aug. 5, 2006/Satnews Daily/ — A Proton Breeze M launch vehicle successfully placed the Hot Bird 8 satellite into orbit today, for the fourth launch of the year for International Launch Services (ILS).
The launcher lifted off at 3:48 a.m. Saturday local time (21:48 Friday GMT, 5:48 p.m. Friday EDT). The mission lasted 9 hours and 11 minutes before Hot Bird 8 was released into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite is a Eurostar E3000 model built for Eutelsat by EADS Space. From its final orbital position of 13 degrees East longitude, Hot Bird 8 will serve customers in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
This was Eutelsat's second launch on an ILS Proton vehicle, following six on ILS's other vehicle, the American Atlas launcher. ILS is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Russian rocket builder Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. ILS markets and manages the missions on the Atlas and Proton vehicles for commercial satellite customers worldwide.
“We appreciate the continued confidence Eutelsat has shown Proton,” said ILS president Mark Albrecht.
“Our Hot Bird 8 broadcast satellite is now well on course to its final destination at our prime video neighborhood at 13 degrees East, and we look forward to bringing it into commercial service in October,” said Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta.
Hot Bird 8 will assume all broadcast traffic currently carried by the 20-transponder Hot Bird 3 which will subsequently continue commercial service at an alternative location. The new satellite's additional capacity will contribute to raising in-orbit security at Eutelsat's Hot Bird video neighbourhood which broadcasts 950 digital channels to over 110 million cable and satellite homes across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Albrecht said, “ILS is now on track to complete six launches in 2006 - we have seen two each for Proton Breeze M and Atlas V, and have two more planned for Proton.” The Russian government plans a total of three Proton launches this year, so with seven missions Proton remains the workhorse of the industry.
The Atlas V is scheduled to fly with its first U.S. Air Force EELV mission late in the year, Albrecht said. He said this complementary mix of 10 government and commercial missions ensure a good launch tempo that benefits all customers.
Recent Stories: ILS Proton to Launch Eutelsat’s Hot Bird 8 Satellite on August 5 in Baikonur ILS Sets Proton Breeze M Return to Flight in August with Eutelsat's Hot Bird 8 ILS to Launch Astra Satellite on Atlas V ICO North America Taps ILS Atlas V to Launch Its GEO Satellite in 2007 |
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