ILS Proton Ready to Launch Arabsat’s BADR-4 on Nov. 9

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, Nov. 6, 2006/Satnews Daily/ ― International Launch Services (ILS) said on Monday it is ready to launch on Thursday, Nov. 9, Arabsat's BADR-4, at Launch Pad 39 in Baikonur Cosmodrome.

BADR-4 will be lofted by Proton M/Breeze M with liftoff time set for 2:01 a.m., Nov. 9, in Baikonur, 20:01 Nov. 8 GMT and 3:01 p.m. Nov. 8 EST.

The BADR-4 satellite is an Astrium Eurostar E2000+ model, the third Eurostar satellite to be launched this year on Proton. Astrium contracted with ILS for the launch on behalf of the end-user, Arabsat.

The spacecraft is a multipurpose communications satellite designed to serve the Arab countries and neighboring regions. The Ku-band payload will carry direct-to-home, interactive TV and internet broadband services, with additional capacity to accommodate anticipated demand for high-definition TV.

BADR-4 has 32 Ku-band transponders and will be located at 26 degrees East longitude. The spacecraft has an anticipated service life of 15 years.

ILS said the BADR-4 launch will be followed in about a month by another ILS Proton mission, with the MEASAT-3 satellite. The Russian government also has scheduled the launch of a GLONASS navigation satellite on a Proton vehicle in December, making for a busy fourth quarter.

ILS is the U.S.-Russian joint venture between Space Transport Inc. and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center with RSC Energia. ILS has the exclusive rights for worldwide commercial sales and mission management of satellite launches on Russia's premier vehicle, the Proton, and the future Angara vehicle. ILS is incorporated in Delaware in the United States, and is headquartered in McLean, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C.

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