[SatNews] International Launch Services (ILS) has announced the firm will be responsible for the launch of the TURKSAT-4A satellite on February 15th, 2014.

The launch site is Launch Pad 24 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and the Proton M/Breeze M launch vehicle, manufactured by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center in Russia will loft the 4,850 kg satellite to orbit. The TURKSAT-4A is a commercial communication satellite built on the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation's DS2000 platform. The satellite will provide telecommunication and direct TV broadcasting services over a wide geographic region between the west of China and the east of England, spanning Turkey, as well as Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. TURKSAT-4A consists of multiple transponders with an expected on-orbit life of 30 years. TURKSAT-4A satellite will expand the space capacity of Turkey and provide enhanced performance to its coverage areas. The satellite will provide high flexibility of switchability and connectivity among different service areas to its customers.

The first three stages of the Proton will use a standard ascent profile to place the orbital unit (Breeze M upper stage and the TURKSAT-4A satellite) into a sub-orbital trajectory. From this point in the mission, the Breeze M will perform planned mission maneuvers to advance the orbital unit first to a circular parking orbit, then to an intermediate orbit, followed by a transfer orbit, and finally to a geostationary transfer orbit. Separation of the TURKSAT-4A satellite is scheduled to occur approximately 9 hours, 13 minutes after liftoff.

More information regarding ILS is available at their infosite... access http://www.ilslaunch.com/