|
ILS Proton Successfully
Launches SES-6 for SES
3 June 2013
International Launch
Services (ILS) successfully
placed the SES-6 satellite
into a super-synchronous
transfer orbit (SSTO) today,
for SES of Luxembourg. With
this launch, ILS, a leader
in providing mission
integration and launch
services to the global
commercial satellite
industry, completed its
second SSTO mission with the
Proton vehicle.
The Proton launch
vehicle, carrying the SES-6
satellite, lifted off from
Pad 39 at the Baikonur
Cosmodrome yesterday at
15:18:31 local time
(09:18:31 GMT and 05:18:31
EDT). SES-6, built on
Astrium’s reliable E3000
platform, weighed over 6
metric tons at liftoff.
After a 15-hour, 31-minute
mission, the satellite was
placed into the target orbit
by the Proton launcher.
This SSTO mission
utilized a 5-burn Breeze M
mission design 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
super-synchronous transfer
orbit. SSTO missions can
provide customers with
increased performance
enabling them to maximize
spacecraft operational
lifetime. This was the 22nd
SES satellite launched on an
ILS Proton and the 16th
Astrium-built satellite
launched on Proton overall.
SES-6 is the fourth mission
to be launched by ILS under
the Multi Launch Agreement
(MLA) signed in June 2007
between SES and ILS.
As a multipurpose
satellite, SES-6 consists of
both Ku-band and C-band
transponders. The satellite
is planned to replace
NSS-806 at 319.5 degrees
east (or 40.5 west)
longitude. This orbital
location will allow SES to
provide enhanced capacity
over North and South
America, the Caribbean,
Europe and the Atlantic
Ocean region. The expanded
payload will also support
DTH and VSAT platforms in
emerging markets.
Since its maiden flight
in 1965, this was the 387th
aggregate launch of
the Proton vehicle,
including both federal and
commercial missions. The
Proton Breeze M vehicle is
developed and built by
Khrunichev Research and
Production Space Center
(Khrunichev) of Moscow,
Russia’s premier space
industry manufacturer and
majority shareholder in ILS.
ILS President Phil Slack
stated, “This is a momentous
occasion that we share with
SES. Our relationship goes
back two decades, starting
with the signing of the
first commercial Proton
launch agreement – for the
ASTRA 1F satellite. We thank
SES for continuing to
entrust us with their
business, with this 22nd
launch. I also want to thank
all of the teams involved at
SES, Astrium, Khrunichev and
ILS for their tireless work
leading up to this
successful launch of SES-6.”
Romain Bausch, SES CEO,
added “With this launch we
are able to fulfil demand in
Latin America and the
Caribbean, where we are
seeing rapid growth. We will
also be able to provide
uninterrupted coverage for
our customers in the
Americas and Europe. Our
long-standing relationship
with ILS and Khrunichev
should be attributed to
their flexibility, their
robust vehicle and their
stout determination. We look
forward to our continued
partnership and future
launches.”
|
