ILS set for Inmarsat launch in August

Telecomworldwire, July 1, 2008

TELECOMWORLDWIRE-1 July 2008-ILS set for Inmarsat launch in August.(C)1994-2008 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com

International Launch Services (ILS), the US based orbital launch company with the rights to market Russia's Proton heavy launch vehicle, has scheduled its next launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Proton launch, on the 14 August (13 August GMT) will lift the Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite into orbit. The six ton EADS Astrium Eurostar 3000 satellite will be shipped to the launch site in early July for mating to the Proton Breeze M launch vehicle. Once in orbit, the satellite will complete Inmarsat's planned launches for its next-generation satellite network providing maritime telecomms services worldwide.

Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow, the majority shareholder in ILS, manufacture the Proton launch system. This will be the first launch of a Proton Breeze M since the failure of the second stage of the Breeze M boost stage in March 2008, which resulted the SES AMERICOM AMC-14 satellite failing to reach its proper orbit. Both the Russian State Commission and an ILS-led independent review panel have concluded their investigations and corrective measures have been taken.

An Inmarsat spokesperson said that the firm was confident that appropriate actions had been taken to deal with recent Proton launch failures.

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