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No other launcher has played as many roles in the Russian space program as has the UR-500 rocket, known today as Proton. Conceived at the dawn of the space race as a "super-size" ICBM, the UR-500 became a major player in the race to the Moon in the mid-1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s, the four-stage version of the launch vehicle launched Soviet planetary probes toward the Moon, Mars and Venus and allowed the Soviet Union to place satellites into geostationary orbit. At the same time, three-stage Protons launched all Soviet space stations, as well as heavy transport ships and modules to expand and resupply them in space. In the 1990s, the Proton became the workhorse of Russia's commercial launch business. Different versions of UR-500 (Proton) rocket:
Base UR-500 rocket (two booster stages) tech dossier:
The UR-500 (Proton) development cooperation:
The Proton-M, sometimes identified Proton-KM, featured several modifications, which were designed to increase payload and reliability of the vehicle, compared to the previous version of the rocket, known as Proton-K. For the first time, a digital flight control system replaced traditional analog hardware onboard Proton. It allowed more efficient propellant consumption during the flight and, as a result, the delivery of bigger payloads into orbit. The rocket has become even more powerful thanks to a new version of the RD-253 engines on its first stage. Moscow's Energomash development center increased the trust of the engine from 151 to 160 tons. With these two improvements the Proton-M was able to deliver 22 tons of cargo into the low Earth orbit compared to 20.7 tons for the standard Proton-K booster. Briz-M For missions beyond initial low orbits, the new Proton was equipped with a more advanced fourth stage called Briz-M. The new stage completed its inaugural flight onboard a regular Proton-K booster in May 2000, when it is delivered the Gorizont communications satellite. Briz-M takes much less space onboard the launch vehicle compared to its predecessor, Block D upper stage, leaving freed volume for the cargo. As a result, the new payload shroud topping the rocket will offer 2.5 times more room for the satellites onboard Proton-M. Further modifications For a number of years, Khrunichev enterprise in Moscow, which builds the Proton rocket, hoped to introduce even more drastic changes in the Proton's design. KB Salyut, Khrunichev's development arm, planned a much more powerful upper stage than Briz-M. Designated KVRB, it was to employ super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen -- the same propellant used in the US Space Shuttle's main engines and in the Energia rocket. The development of a cryogenic stage initiated by Khrunichev in 1980s has been stalled for years by Russia's financial problems. The work, however, has progressed somewhat during the first decade of the 21st century, thanks to commercial deals with India, which eyed similar technology for its own space launcher. KB Salyut has developed the cryogenic upper stage for the Indian government and hopes to use its off-the-shelf technology for the even bigger stage for Proton. KB Salyut representatives said that the Proton's cryogenic stage would house 18 tons of propellants compared to the 12 tons carried by the stage developed for the Indian rocket. With the new cryogenic stage, Proton would be able to compete with the Ariane-5 rocket, the most advanced European launcher, despite a geographical disadvantage of flying from Kazakhstan compared to Ariane's launch pad in equatorial region of French Guiana. Lockheed Martin ends its partnership with Khrunichev Published: 2006 Sept. 7 The American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin announced Thursday the sale of its stake in the International Launch Services, ILS, which has been marketing the Russian Proton rocket to commercial clients around the world. The move ended a more than decade-long partnership between Lockheed Martin and the Moscow-based Khrunichev enterprise, the Proton manufacturer. Despite this obvious setback to the commercial standing of Russia's workhorse launcher, the nation's Federal Space Agency, Roskosmos, attempted to put a positive spin on the event. The agency's press-release on the matter was entitled "Strengthening of International Positions of Khrunichev Enterprise." However many observers of the Russian space program saw Lockheed's decision as potentially damaging to the future projects at Khrunichev, including the development of the next-generation Angara rocket and the construction of its launch complex in Baikonur. In the past, Lockheed had promised to invest in the Angara project, which stalled for years due to the failure of the Russian government to fund it. Recently, Khrunichev's Proton and Rockot launchers each suffered a high-profile failure with a foreign payload, followed by a management shakeup at the company. Both vehicles successfully returned to flight during 2006. FLIGHT HISTORY Early milestones in the Proton program: 1964 July 24: The first mockup of the UR-500 rocket arrived in Tyuratam for testing of the launch complex. The construction of the first launch pad (known today as "left" or Pad 23) for the UR-500 rocket in Area 81 was completed around this time. 1965 July 16: The first Proton rocket blasted off from Site 81 in Tyuratam carrying the Proton-1 spacecraft. 1965 Nov. 2: A Proton rocket blasted off from Site 81 in Tyuratam carrying the Proton-2 spacecraft. 1966 March 24: A Proton failed to deliver a spacecraft after the launch from Site 81 in Tyuratam. 1966 July 6: A Proton rocket blasted off from Site 81 in Tyuratam successfully delivering the Proton-3 spacecraft. 1967 March 10: A Proton rocket equippped with a Block D upper stage blasted off from Site 81 in Tyuratam carrying the first prototype of the L1 circumlunar spacecraft. It was announced as Cosmos-146. 1967 April 8: A Proton rocket with a Block D upper stage blasted off from Site 81 in Tyuratam carrying a prototype of the L1 circumlunar spacecraft. It was announced as Cosmos-154. 1967 Sept. 29: A Proton rocket with a Block D upper stage failed to deliver a prototype of the L1 circumlunar spacecraft. The launch was not announced. 1967 Nov. 22: A Proton rocket with a Block D upper stage failed to deliver a prototype of the L1 circumlunar spacecraft after launch from newly completed "right" launch pad (known today as Number 24) of Site 81 in Tyuratam. The launch was not announced. 1968 March 2: A Proton rocket with a Block D upper stage blasted off from the "left" launch pad at Site 81 in Tyuratam carrying the prototype of the L1 circumlunar spacecraft. It was announced as Zond-4. 1968 April 23: A Proton rocket with a Block D upper stage failed to deliver a prototype of the L1 circumlunar spacecraft after launch from the "right" launch pad at Site 81. The launch was not announced. 1968 July 14: An explosion at the Proton launch complex with a L-1 (Zond) spacecraft in pre-launch processing killed one person. 1968 Sept. 15: A Proton rocket with a Block D upper stage blasted off from the "left" launch pad at Site 81 in Tyuratam carrying a prototype of the L1 circumlunar spacecraft. It was announced as Zond-5. 1968 Nov. 16: A Proton rocket successful launched the Proton-4 science spacecraft from the "right" launch pad of Site 81 in Tyuratam. 1969 Jan. 20: A Proton rocket failed to place an L1 spacecraft into orbit after launch from "left" launch pad of Site 81 in Tyuratam. 1969 Feb. 19: A Proton rocket failed to place a lunar probe into orbit after launch from "right" launch pad of Site 81 in Tyuratam. 1969 March 27: A Proton rocket failed to place a Mars probe in orbit after launch from "right" pad at Site 81 in Tyuratam. RECENT MISSIONS First Proton-M test flight The flight version of the Proton-M rocket arrived to Baikonur in July 2000 and at the time its first test launch was expected as early as August 2000. However, technical and financial problems continuously pushed the launch date for the new vehicle to October 28, November 4, December 2000 and February 2001. Although the Proton-M could be prepared for its first blastoff as early as the beginning of March 2001, in-orbit lighting conditions would be unfavorable for the rocket's payload, the Ekran-M communications satellite, if it was launched between March 1 and March 16. At the same time, a commercial launch of the regular Proton rocket with the Panamsat-10 communications satellite is scheduled for April 4 from the same launch complex Number 23 in Area 81 in Baikonur. Since the launch teams in Baikonur need some "breathing room" to refurbish the pad between the launches, Proton-M might have to wait until after Panamsat launch. In December 2000, the Proton-M was rolled out to the pad to test its interaction with the systems of the launch complex. According to representatives of Rosaviacosmos and Khrunichev enterprise, the Proton manufacturer, several problems with the interfaces of the vehicle and the hardware of the launch complex were discovered during tests on the pad. During its first test mission the rocket was to deliver the Ekran-M-24 communications satellite into a circular orbit 36,000 kilometers above the Equator. This two-ton spacecraft was developed in the 1970s and it would be the last of its kind to be launched. The two-ton spacecraft carrying a single TV-relay channel looked inadequate when compared to contemporary communications satellites equipped with dozens of transmitters. A Briz-M upper stage was designed to place Ekran-M at a point 99 degrees East longitude, where it would provide direct television broadcasts for the Eastern regions of Russia. In this position, the new satellite would replace its ailing sibling Ekran-M-15. A representative of the Russian Aviation and Space Agency said that one more Ekran-M-type spacecraft would remain on the ground after the Proton-M test launch. However, this spacecraft will likely end up in a museum, since its storage time has already expired and there are no plans to launch it. 2001 January-February: The Proton-M mission became a priority when in January 2001 problems with the orbiting Ekran-M-15 spacecraft threatened to disrupt the delivery of TV programs in the vast areas of Siberia and the Russian Far East. As a result, the Panamsat-10 launch was rescheduled for May and Proton-M test mission targeted for April 2001. 2001 March 27: The Proton-M was rolled to the launch Pad 24 in Area 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome for the final integration tests of the vehicle and the launch complex. Serviced by personnel of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, Pad 24 was specifically modified for launches of the Proton-M vehicle and currently it is the only one of four Proton launch complexes compatible with the new vehicle. The final tests of the Proton-M on the launch pad are scheduled until March 30, when the rocket will be returned to the processing complex for the fueling of the Briz-M upper stage. On April 2, the Proton-M, fully integrated with its payload and upper stage was scheduled for rollout to Pad 24 for the final pre-launch processing. 2001 April 6: The launch of the new version of the Proton launcher was postponed 24 hours due to technical problems with the upper stage. According to Khrunichev enterprise, the Proton-M prime manufacturer, problems with batteries onboard the Briz-M fourth stage forced the delay. Officials at the Baikonur Cosmodrome said that a new launch attempt will take place at 7:47 a.m. Moscow Time on Saturday, February 7 (11:47 p.m. EST on February 6). 2001 April 7: After a 24-hour delay, the Proton-M rocket blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome into its first test flight. The launch took place at 07:47 Moscow Time and several minutes later the Briz-M upper stage and the Ekran M18 communications satellite successfully reached their initial low orbit. After a series of additional firings of the Briz-M upper stage and jettisoning of its external tank, the spacecraft reached its transfer orbit by 09:18 Moscow Time. After one more maneuver of the Briz-M upper stage to circularize the orbit at an altitute of 36,000 kilometers, the Ekran M spacecraft was expected to separate from the upper stage on April 7 at 14:31:19 Moscow Time. Rosaviacosmos confirmed the successful separation of the Ekran M-18 from the Briz-M at 14:31 Moscow Time. After a series of tests within the next two weeks, the spacecraft was expected to drift to its final location at 99 degrees East longitude over the Equator. 2001 April 14-17: An Antonov-124 transport plane was to deliver the Panamsat-10 communications satellite from California to Baikonur in preparation for launch on the Proton rocket. 2001 May 4: An Antonov-124 transport plane was to deliver the Astro 2C direct TV satellite to Baikonur in preparation for launch on a Proton. 2001 May 15, 07:11:30 Baikonur Time: A Proton-K booster with a Block DM upper stage blasted off from Pad 23 in Area 81 in Baikonur. Ten minutes later the rocket successfully deliveredthe PAS-10 (Panamsat) communications satellite to an initial low-Earth orbit. 2001 June 16, 7:49 Baikonur Time: Proton with Block DM-3 upper stage blasted off from Launch Complex 23 at Site 81, carrying Astra 2C direct TV satellite for Luxemburg's SES. 2001 Aug. 24: A Proton launched a military payload (Delayed 24 hours by technical problems). 2001 Oct. 6, 20:45 Moscow Time: A Proton launched a military satellite (apparently the Raduga-1 comsat) from Baikonur; 2001 Oct. 12: KBKHa in Voronezh conducted a test firing of the RD-0146 engine burning liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. 2001 Dec. 1: A Proton-K rocket blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 21:04 Moscow Time (1:04 p.m. EST), carrying two standard Uragan ("Hurricane") spacecraft and a brand-new Uragan-M satellite for the GLONASS network. The rocket for this mission arrived to Baikonur around Sept. 28, 2001, and the launch had previously been scheduled for November 19 and November 23, 2001. 2002 March 30: A Proton rocket delivered the Intelsat-903 communications satellite, after a successful launch from Baikonur. The Proton equipped with a Block DM upper stage blasted off from Pad 23 at Site 81 in Baikonur on March 30, 2002, at 22:25 local time. This was the first mission of the Proton booster in four months and also its first commercial launch since June 2001. The events of September 11, and the following war in Afghanistan, were believed to be contributing factors in the delays of several commercial missions from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Baikonur, the home of the only existing launch facilities for the Proton rocket, is located in Western Kazakhstan -- in relative proximity to the area of conflict. The launch of the Intelsat-903 satellite was previously expected on November 26, 2001 and on March 4, 2002. 2002 May 10: A Proton rocket delivered the DirecTV-5 satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit after a successful launch from Baikonur. The Proton, equipped with a Block DM upper stage blasted off from Pad 24 at Site 81 in Baikonur on May 7 at 23:00 local time. The satellite is a 1300 model built by Space Systems/Loral of Palo Alto, Calif. and it was to be positioned at 119 degrees West longitude to provide entertainment programming and broadband services to the United States. The launch had been originally expected in October 2001 and later it was scheduled for November 2, 2001 and April 30, 2002. On May 6, the mission was postponed minutes before its liftoff scheduled for 11 p.m. local time, due to an anomaly in the launch vehicle. 2002 June 10: A Proton rocket successfully launched a Russian communications satellite. The four-stage booster blasted off at 05:14 Moscow Time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, carrying the Ekspress-A1R satellite, which belongs to Russia's State Company for Space Communications, GPKS. The Express-A1R is equipped with 12 C-band, 5 Ku-band and one L-band transponders and it was expected to have a lifespan of seven years. The satellite, positioned in the equatorial orbit over the point 40 degrees East longitude, will provide TV, radio and Internet services across the former Soviet Union. The spacecraft became the fourth and the last in the Express-A series developed by NPO PM enterprise based in Zheleznogorsk, Russia. The French company Alcatel Space Industries supplied the communications payload for the spacecraft. 2002 July 25: A Proton booster launched a classified satellite from Site 81 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, officially announced as Cosmos-2392. The launch took place at 19:13 Moscow Time (11:13 a.m. EST). The spacecraft was expected to separate from the upper stage of the launch vehicle at 21:27 Moscow Time (1:27 p.m. EST), after reaching a highly elliptical orbit around the Earth. Statements made by Russian space officials confirmed that the payload belonged to the Araks (Arkon) family of spacecraft developed by NPO Lavochkin. The company advertised the satellite as a dual-purpose system, designed for military and civilian observations of the Earth surface. 2002 Aug. 22: A Proton rocket launched a commercial communications satellite. The four-stage booster blasted off at 11:15 local time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, carrying the Echostar-8 direct-broadcast satellite. The spacecraft successfully reached geosynchronous transfer orbit 6 hours and 36 minutes after the launch. The mission was delayed from June 22 and July 2002, due to technical problems with the payload and from August 20 and August 21, due to the weather. 2002 Oct. 17: A Proton rocket launched the European Integral gamma-ray observatory. The launcher blasted off from Site 200 at Baikonur Cosmodrome at 10:41 local time (08:41 Moscow Time). After second firing of its Block D upper stage, the launch vehicle placed the spacecraft into a 72-hour elliptical orbit, with a perigee of 10,000 kilometers and an apogee of 153,000 kilometers from the Earth surface, or nearly half the distance to the Moon. 2002 Nov. 26: A heavy communications satellite ended up stranded in a useless orbit, after its launch vehicle failed. The Proton rocket rocket equipped with Block DM-3 upper stage and carrying the Astra-1K communications satellite for a Luxemburg-based operator, blasted off from Pad 23 at Area 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 04:04 local time on Nov. 26, 2002. Three stages of the rocket booster worked normally and the initial burn of the Block DM-3 upper stage was also completed successfully, delivering the Astra-1K into an initial low orbit. However, during the second ignition of the Block DM-3 upper stage, intended to send the spacecraft into an elliptical transfer orbit, the main engine of the stage shut down prematurely, leaving its cargo in a 203 x 179-kilometer orbit. The spacecraft then separated from its upper stage and apparently maneuvered to a slightly higher orbit; however, it doesn't have propulsion power to reach operational altitude. The Proton rocket failure came at a time of the increased competition in the satellite-launching industry and followed another launch failure of the Russian rocket in October 2002. Immediately, after the loss of the Astra-1K, The International Launch Services, ILS, a US company marketing the Proton booster to Western customers, announced that the next mission of the booster, would feature the Proton-M version of the rocket, equipped with a Briz-M upper stage instead of Block-DM. 2002 Dec. 25: A Proton-K rocket blasted off from Pad 23 at Site 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 10:37 Moscow Time, carrying three Uragan-M ("Hurricane") spacecraft for the GLONASS network -- the Russian equivalent of the US Global Positioning System, GPS. According to official reports, the payload successfully reached an initial parking orbit at 10:48 Moscow Time. After additional maneuvers, the trio of 1,425-kilogram satellites were to separate from the upper stage of the launch vehicle in their final orbit between 14:35 and 15:11 Moscow Time. This was the first launch of the Proton rocket with the Block DM upper stage, after a similar vehicle failed to deliver a commercial communications satellite into its final orbit on Nov. 26, 2002. 2002 Dec. 30: A Proton-M rocket, carrying the Nimiq 2 comsat, blasted off from Pad 24 at Site 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome at 4:17 a.m. local time (6:17 p.m. Sunday EST, 23:17 Sunday GMT). Six hours and 53 minutes later, the satellite was successfully released into a transfer orbit. The satellite, designed for direct broadcast services, was built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, and will be operated by Telesat Canada. 2003 April 24: A Proton-K rocket blasted off from Pad 24 at Site 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 08:23:13 Moscow Time, carrying a classified military payload. According to the Russian Space Forces, VKS, the vehicle successfully reached an initial parking orbit at 8:33 Moscow Time. The Proton's upper stage then was expected to fire twice to deliver the satellite into its final orbit. Separation between the payload and the upper stage was scheduled for 15:00 Moscow Time on April 24. Proton rockets are routinely used for the delivery of communications and early-warning satellites for the Russian military. 2003 June 7: A long-delayed mission of the Proton-M rocket got off the ground without a hitch on June 7, 2003. A four-stage vehicle, carrying the AMC-9 communications satellite for Alcatel Space and SES AMERICOM, blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 4:15 in the morning local time (2215 GMT on June 6). After 8 hours and 55 minutes, the AMC-9 separated from the Briz-M upper stage, entering a geostationary transfer orbit. It was the 300th launch of the Proton rocket, according to the International Launch Services, a joint venture of US and Russian companies, marketing the launcher. Various issues kept delaying the mission from the original launch date of Feb. 10, 2003 to March 15 and March 31, 2003. The vehicle was finally rolled out to the launch pad on April 25, in preparation for launch on April 29, however on April 26, the mission was postponed, when technical problems were discovered in the Briz-M upper stage, which required its return to the assembly building and destacking of the vehicle. Initially, a 30-day delay at least was expected. However, ILS then announced May 20 (May 19 GMT) as the launch date. Yet, again, on May 17, during routine pre-launch verification activities at the launch pad, a launch vehicle anomaly on one of the gyro units requiring replacement of the system was identified, ILS said. The company then announced June 10 as the launch date, which was advanced to June 7 at the beginning of that month. 2003 Nov. 22: Russia launched a pair of communications satellites aimed to support the nation's burgeoning oil industry. A four-stage version of the Proton-K rocket with a Block DM upper stage blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 09:22 Moscow Time on November 22, 2003, after a 16-minute delay caused by weather conditions. The launch vehicle carried two Yamal-200 spacecraft built by RKK Energia in Korolev for the Gazkom organization, serving primarily the Russian oil and gas industry. One of the satellites was expected to bring communications in the remote but oil-rich regions of Eastern Russia, as well as other regions of the former Soviet Union. The second spacecraft will cover Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. The Yamal-200-1 satellite with the mass of 1,360 kilograms carries nine C-band transponders and six Ku-band transponders. The Yamal-200-2 with a mass of 1,320 kilograms carries 18 C-band transponders. The spacecraft are expected to take positions in geostationary orbit at 90 and 49 degrees East longitude, respectively, where they should function for more than 12 years. Various technical problems pushed the mission from its previous launch dates scheduled for June 30, August 24, October 15 and November 20, 2003. A pair of smaller Yamal-100 satellites went into orbit in September 1999, however one of the two spacecraft never entered service due to onboard failure, while the second had remained operational by the time a new pair of satellites was launched. 2003 Dec. 10: Russia launched three satellites to replenish the nation's GLONASS global navigation network. A Proton rocket with a Briz-M upper stage blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Dec. 10, 2003 at 20:42:12 Moscow Time, carrying two Uragan and one Uragan-M spacecraft. After reaching orbit, the satellites were designated as Cosmos-2402, -2403 and -2404. The latest launch aimed to replenish the semi-military global positioning system, known as GLONASS, the Russian equivalent of the American GPS system. However due to lack of operational Uragan spacecraft currently in orbit, the GLONASS network is unable to provide the accuracy of navigation of the complete system. 2003 Dec. 29: A Russian Proton rocket successfully delivered a spacecraft for the nation’s satellite communications company, RSCC. The Proton K vehicle with a Block DM upper stage blasted off from Site 200 at Baikonur Cosmodrome at 04:00 local time on December 29, 2003 (2300 GMT on Dec. 28), carrying the Express-AM22 spacecraft for the Russian Satellite Communications Company, RSCC. The third stage of the Proton rocket inserted the Block DM/Express-AM22 combination into an initial low Earth orbit, and the upper stage conducted two firings to raise the apogee and circularize the orbit at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers over the Equator. The Express-AM22, built by NPO PM development center in Zheleznogorsk, Russia in cooperation with Alcatel Space, has a projected life span of 12 years. The spacecraft carries 24 transponders and is expected to operate in the orbital position 53 degrees East longitude over the Equator. 2004 March 15: A Proton rocket successfully delivered a commercial satellite from Baikonur during the rocket's first mission in 2004. The Proton
M vehicle equipped with a Briz-M upper stage blasted off from Pad 24 in
Area 81 at the Baikonur
Cosmodrome on March 15, 2004 at 2306 UTC (04:06 local time on March
16), carrying the Eutelsat W3A The Briz-M successfully conducted five burns to place its payload into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The upper stage and the satellite separated at 11:16 p.m. Moscow time (08:16 UTC) on March 16. When it enters service later this year, the W3A satellite is expected to provide broadband, direct-to-home and other communications services to Eutelsat customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It is an EADS Astrium Eurostar E3000 model satellite, the largest spacecraft launched to date for Eutelsat. The mission was previously expected at the end of 2003. 2004 March 27: A Proton rocket with a Block DM upper stage blasted off from Pad 23 at Site 81 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 27, 2004, at 06:30 Moscow Time, carrying a classified payload for the Soviet military. According to the Russian space forces, the spacecraft separated from its upper stage at 13:06 Moscow Time, after an apparently successful launch. Following the tradition for military spacecraft, the payload was identified as Cosmos-2406, with no details about its mission officially disclosed. However, several weeks later the spacecraft was renamed Raduga-1 -- a series of communications satellites. According to the Russian press, Lt. General Oleg Gromov, Deputy Commander of Space Forces attended the launch. 2004 April 27: In its third mission in six weeks, the Proton rocket successfully delivered a payload into geostationary orbit. The Proton K vehicle equipped with a Block DM upper stage blasted off from Pad 39 at Site 200 of Baikonur Cosmodrome at 00:37 Moscow Time on April 27, 2004, carrying the Russian communications satellite Express-AM11. According to RKK Energia, the Block D manufacturer, the spacecraft and the upper stage separated at 07:10 Moscow Time on April 27. The satellite successfully reached geostationary orbit. 2004 June 17: A venerable Proton rocket used most of its abilities in June 2004, when it orbited the heaviest European communications payload. After a 24-hour delay, the Proton M vehicle equipped with a Briz-M upper stage blasted off from Pad 39 at Site 200 of Baikonur Cosmodrome at 02:27 Moscow Time on June 17, 2004, carrying the Intelsat 10-02 communications satellite. The launch vehicle successfully injected its payload into geostationary transfer orbit nine hours and 10 minutes after the launch. The separation between the satellite and the upper stage was scheduled for 11:37 Moscow Time. The comsat was to be positioned at 359 degrees East longitude over the Equator to provide video, corporate networking, Internet and voice services across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South America and portions of Asia and North America. According to the company marketing the Proton rocket, the 5,580-kilogram Intelsat 10-02 was the largest Eurostar E3000 model spacecraft ever built by the European consortium EADS Astrium, and the largest commercial satellite carried by a Proton vehicle. The launch of the Intelsat 10-02 onboard Proton was previously expected in the third quarter of 2003 and the first quarter of 2004. Technical problems on the launch pad, caused a 24-hour delay from June 16, 2004. 2004 Aug. 5: A Proton rocket with a Briz-M upper stage successfully boosted a commercial communications satellite into orbit. The rocket carrying the Amazonas satellite lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome's Pad 39 at Site 200 at 02:32 Moscow Time on August 5, 2004 (2232 GMT, Aug. 4). According to the Russian Federal Space Agency, FKA, the upper stage and its payload successfully reached an initial parking orbit at 02:51 Moscow Time. The upper stage then conducted multiple firings culminating with the delivery of the spacecraft into an elliptical transfer orbit 9 hours 11 minutes after the launch or at 11:43 Moscow Time. The satellite was expected to use its own propulsion system to reach its operating position of 61 degrees West longitude in a geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometers above the Equator. The Amazonas spacecraft was built for Hispasat of Spain, and will be used by its subsidiaries Hispamar of Brazil and Hispasat Canarias to provide a multitude of communications services at both C- and Ku-band on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The spacecraft is the biggest of the Hispasat fleet covering Brazil and the rest of the Americas, Europe and Northern Africa with transatlantic and Pan-American capacity. The satellite carries 32 active transponders in the Ku-band and 19 active transponders in the C-band. Built by EADS Astrium of Europe, the spacecraft is based on the Eurostar 3000 platform with a planned operational life of 15 years and a total launch mass of approximately 4,600 kg. The contract for the launch of Amazonas onboard Proton was originally announced on Sept. 9, 2003 and the mission was previously scheduled for July 26, 2004. 2004 Oct. 15: A Proton rocket with a Briz-M upper stage delivered the AMC-15 communications satellite for SES AMERICOM after a successful launch from Site 200 in Baikonur at 01:23:00 Moscow Time (5:23 pm EDT on Oct. 14). Initial contact with the satellite was confirmed at 2:52 a.m. EDT from the Lockheed Martin satellite tracking station in Uralla, Australia. The spacecraft uses a A2100 bus built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS), with a Ku/Ka-band payload for distribution of video, Internet and broadband services across the U.S. including Alaska and Hawaii. AMC-15 features one of America’s first payloads operating at Ka-band frequencies, comprising 12 125-MHz Ka-band spot beams. AMC-15 also features 24 36-MHz transponders of Ku-band capacity. SES AMERICOM has an agreement with EchoStar Communications, Inc., a leading U.S. direct broadcast system operator, to use both payloads on the AMC-15. International Launch Services, ILS, -- a company marketing Proton in the West -- announced the agreement to launch the AMC-15 on Sept. 8, 2003. Earlier that year, SES AMERICOM ordered an unspecified Proton launch from the ILS. The launch was originally expected in August 2004. It was delayed from Sept. 21, 2004 by avionics problems in the Briz-M upper stage. AMC-15 represents the third of four satellites Lockheed Martin will deliver this year to SES AMERICOM. AMC-10 and AMC-11 were successfully launched on Atlas IIAS vehicles in February and May 2004, and AMC-16 is scheduled to be launched on an Atlas V in December 2004. AMC-15 marks the 11th A2100 delivered to SES AMERICOM since the maiden flight of AMC-1 in September 1996. It also represents the 25th A2100 in orbit. 2004 Oct. 30: A Russian Proton rocket successfully delivered a spacecraft for the nation’s satellite communications company, RSCC. The Proton K rocket with a Block DM-01 upper stage blasted from Pad 39 at Site 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 02:11 Moscow Time, on October 30, 2004, carrying the Express-AM1 satellite. After two firings of the upper stage, the payload successfully reached its final geostationary orbit at 08:45 Moscow Time on the same day. The satellite is to be positioned at 40 degrees East over the Equator. This was the third of five satellites in the series slated for launch before the end of 2005. The spacecraft was developed by NPO PM of Zheleznogorsk in cooperation with NEC NTS Space of Japan, Sodern of France and the European consortium Astrium. Its payload, including nine C-band, 18 Ku-band and one L-band transponders, is designed to provide digital TV broadcasts, telephone communications and broad-band Internet access. The spacecraft has a projected lifespan of 12 years. The launch of the Express-AM1 was delayed from August 2004 and Oct. 28, 2004. 2004 Dec. 26: Russia sent up a trio of satellites to upgrade the nation's global positioning system. A Proton-K rocket with a Block DM (11S861) upper stage, carrying two Uragan and a follow-on Uragan-M satellites blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 16:54 Moscow Time. The launch had previously been scheduled for Dec. 25, 2004. 2005 Feb. 3: Russia successfully conducted its first commercial launch of 2005 and the 7th mission of the Proton-M vehicle and the 312th launch of the Proton series. The launch vehicle with a Briz-M upper stage blasted off from Pad 24 at Site 81 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 05:27 Moscow Time on Feb. 3, 2005, carrying the AMC-12 communications satellite for SES AMERICOM. After about 9 hours and 19 minutes of flight, and five burns of the Briz-M upper stage the satellite separated in the planned orbit. AMC-12 is expected to go into service in April, providing communications for the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa from a position 37.5 degrees West longitude over the Equator. The satellite, at one point designated Worldsat-2, was built by Alcatel Space of France. It was first scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2004, November 2004 and then on Dec. 10, 2004. Delivery to the launch site had been expected on Nov. 1, 2004, but did not take place until Dec. 30, 2004. 2005 March 30: In its second mission since the beginning of the year, the Proton rocket successfully launched a Russian communications satellite. A Proton-K, equipped with a Block DM upper stage, blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 01:31 Moscow Time, carrying the Express-AM2 spacecraft for the Russian Satellite Communications Organization, RSCS. According to Russian officials, the satellite separated from the upper stage of the launch vehicle at 08:05 Moscow Time on the day of the launch. The spacecraft, built by NPO PM in Zheleznogorsk with the participation of Alcatel Space of France, is expected to operate in a geostationary orbit at 80 degrees West over the Equator for the next 12 years. The launch of the Express-AM2 spacecraft had been earlier planned for December 2004, however it was reportedly delayed by the lack of funding for the manufacturing of the launch vehicle. 2005 May 22: A Russian Proton rocket with a Briz-M upper stage placed the DIRECTV 8 satellite into orbit. The launch vehicle lifted off from Pad 39 in Baikonur at 23:59 local time (17:59 GMT), after a 24-hour delay caused by technical problems. The satellite separated from the upper stage into an elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit nine hours and 15 minutes after launch. Controllers confirmed that DIRECTV 8 has been functioning properly. The satellite
was scheduled to enter a circular geosynchronous orbit above the equator
ten days after the launch. The agreement for the launch of the DIRECTV 8 onboard the Proton rocket was announced on July 13, 2004. In preparation for launch, the rocket with its payload was rolled to the launch pad on May 18, 2005. 2005 June 24: The modernization of Russia's satellite communications network received a new bird in June 2005. A Proton-K (No. 410-07) equipped with a Block D (11S861 No. 103L) upper stage and carrying the Express-AM3 comsat for the Russian Satellite Communications Organization, RSCS, blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome's Site 200 on June 24, 2005 at 23:41 Moscow Time. The launch of the Express-AM3 spacecraft completed the modernization of the country's communications network. It was the fifth and last satellite of this type launched in the past two years. The mission was originally scheduled for June 23, 2005. The next generation of spacecraft was expected to reach launch pad in 2007. 2005 Sept. 9: In the midst of a busy launch season in Baikonur, a Proton rocket delivered a commercial payload into orbit -- the third liftoff from the site in nearly two weeks. The Proton M rocket (No. 53512) with a Briz-M upper stage (No. 88513) lifted off from Pad 39 at Site 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sept. 9, 2005 at 03:53 local time (5:53 p.m. EDT or 21:53 GMT on Sept. 8, 2005). The rocket carried Anik F1R, based on the E3000 platform developed by an EADS Astrium of Europe. Upon separation from the third stage of the Proton, The Briz-M then fired its on-board engine five times over the next nine hours to place the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The p[ayload was expected to maneuver over the next few weeks into its final orbit 36,000 km above the equator. From its operating position at 107.3 degrees West longitude, Anik F1R was expected to deliver broadcasting, communications and air navigation services in Canada and the United States, on behalf of Telesat. The mission was delayed from June and Aug. 10, 2005. 2005 Dec. 25: A trio of Russian navigation satellites successfully reached orbit after launch from Kazakhstan. A Proton-K rocket with a Block DM upper stage blasted off from Site 81 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 08:07 Moscow Time, carrying a trio of spacecraft for Russia's global positioning system, GLONASS. The payload included a regular Uragan spacecraft and a pair of upgraded Uragan-M satellites. The launch brought the number of active Uragan satellites to 17. A fully functional GLONASS network is designed to have 24 spacecraft. 2005 Dec. 29: A Proton-M rocket, carrying the AMC-23 communications satellite (formerly Worldsat-3) blasted off from Pad 23 at Site-200 in Baikonur at 05:28 Moscow Time. The payload was scheduled to separate from the Briz-M upper stage at 14:48 Moscow Time on the same day after five firings of the upper stage. The contract for the launch was announced in March 2004 and at the time, it was scheduled for November 2005. The launch vehicle arrived to Baikonur on October 25, 2005. The launch was first postponed from Dec. 1, 2005. The mission was delayed again from Dec. 6, 2005, by avionics problems in the Briz-M upper stage, after the vehicle was rolled out to Site-200 on Dec. 3, 2005. The launch of the Astra-1KR, originally scheduled onboard a Proton in September 2005 and then on Oct. 20, 2005, was later transferred to an Atlas rocket, which successfully launched it in April 2006. The workhorse of the Russian rocket fleet malfunctions Published: 2006 Feb. 28; updated March 2, 5, April 29 2006 March 1: A Russian Proton M rocket failed to deliver a commercial communications satellite into proper orbit, apparently rendering it useless. The Proton M rocket equipped with the Briz-M upper stage and carrying the ARABSAT 4A comsat blasted off from Pad 39 at Site 200 in Baikonur Cosmodrome at 2:10 a.m. local time on March 1, 2006, (20:10 GMT on February 28, 2006). According to International Launch Services, ILS, (a Russian-American joint venture which markets the launch vehicle outside Russia), preliminary flight information indicated that the Briz-M upper stage shut down prematurely during its planned burn sequence. "As a contingency," the satellite was separated from the upper stage, ILS said. As of February 28, 2006, the company could not comment on the fate of the spacecraft. However a US tracking radar detected the satellite in a 507.7 by 14,695-kilometer orbit with an inclination of 51.52 degrees toward the Equator. Such parameters show that the Briz upper stage initiated its second firing, intended to lift the satellite from its low parking orbit into a highly elliptical orbit, which would become circular and Equatorial after subsequent burns. The failure apparently took place at the end of the second burn. (The upper stage burn was some 200 seconds short of the planned 30 minutes). In a nominal flight, the Briz-M would release the spacecraft in a 3,150 by 35,786-kilometer orbit with an inclination of 14.2 degrees. Russian sources estimated the possibility of salvaging the satellite as very low. The mission was previously expected in December 2005 and was once scheduled for February 21, 2006. On March 2, 2006, Roskosmos said that despite the latest failure, there was no need for the formal "grounding" of the Proton launch vehicle. At the time, the nominal schedule called for the next launch of a Proton on May 17, 2006. Results of the failure investigation On April 26, 2006, ILS issued a statement saying that The Russian State Commission had completed its investigation into the failure. The commission concluded that an anomaly in the oxidizer supply system caused the Briz-M upper stage main engine to shut down prematurely. Based on telemetry data, the most probable cause of the oxidizer supply interruption was a foreign particle blocking a nozzle of the booster hydraulic pump, the commission stated. Flight operations should be able to resume after corrective actions have been implemented, the commission stated. Implementation of such steps was expected by the end of May 2006. According to post-flight data released by ILS, at 5,536 seconds after liftoff of the ill-fated mission, during the second burn of the Briz-M, an unplanned main engine shutdown occurred. In accordance with standard procedures, the flight control system produced an emergency command, and at 5,541 seconds after liftoff the spacecraft was separated from the upper stage, into an orbit with 51.5 degrees inclination, 14,679 km apogee altitude and 506 km perigee altitude. The State Commission reviewed all possible failure scenarios based on telemetry data received from the Briz-M upper stage. To verify possible scenarios, various units have been tested in test stands, including test firing of the main engine. The commission was developing corrective actions for additional inspection of the Briz-M and Briz KM main engines, which are of the same type, to prevent recurrence of similar anomalies. Concurrently, the ILS Failure Review Oversight Board was to commence a series of meetings in Moscow. The FROB was expected to review the final report and corrective action plan in accord with U.S. and Russian government technology control regulations, with the goal of completing its work by the end of May 2006. Russian rocket puts up another celestial show Published: 2007 Feb. 22 For the second time since the beginning of the year, a Russian rocket has launched a celestial show for observers on the ground. During the night from February 19 to 20, 2007, Ray Palmer, an Australian astronomer was conducting long-exposure photography of the night sky, as he noticed a round object between the Centaurus constellation and star Spica. "(It) reminded me of Comet Macholz (only larger and brighter!)… and seemed to have a nucleus," Palmer said in an e-mail communication with RussianSpaceWeb.com. The astronomer then re-targeted his telescope to shoot the mystery object, which was blinking on and off, a telltale sign of a tumbling orbiting spacecraft. Palmer was able to track the object for about 35 minutes, (until around 2:50 am on Feb. 20, 2007), as it was slowly fading in the sky over Western Australia. It took two days of debate in the astronomical community to finally identify the object as a the spent Briz-M upper stage from the ill-fated mission of a Russian Proton rocket in February 2006. The inactive vehicle tumbled through space until the night of February 19, 2007, when leftover propellants inside the stage apparently overheated and exploded over Australia, with Ray Palmer being in the right place and at the right time to capture the event. This is apparently the only instance, of the spontaneous explosion of a spacecraft being photographed, however events of this sort are known in the history of space exploration. In the meantime, ABC Australia reported that numerous residents of the Darling Downs in Southern Queensland contacted the station to report a milky glowing cloud and lights moving slowly across the night sky between 3 am and 4 am local time. Radar apparently detected more than 500 fragments in the aftermath of the explosion. Remarkable images by Palmer and his colleagues in Australia appeared on a popular Spaceweather.com web site, opening a floodgate of e-mails to Palmer from mass media and NASA. In January, the fiery reentry of the upper stage of the Soyuz-2 rocket, which delivered the Corot observatory, was widely observed in North America.Proton returns to flight 2006 June 18: Less than four months after its latest failure, the Proton rocket resumed its missions with the apparently successful launch of the first satellite for the government of Kazakhstan. The Proton-K rocket with Block DM-3 upper stage blasted off from Pad 39 at Site 200 at Baikonur Cosmodrome on June 18, 2006, at 01:44:05.003 Moscow Decree Time, carrying the KazSat communications satellite. The upper stage and its payload separated from the third stage 9 minutes 28 seconds after launch. Following a successful orbital insertion, the payload separated from the upper stage at 08:32:33.626 Moscow Decree Time, according to Khrunichev enterprise, which developed the spacecraft and the launch vehicle. In a rare appearance in Baikonur, the Presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan personally watched the launch accompanied by the head of the Russian space agency, Roskosmos Anatoly Perminov. 2006 Aug. 4: A Proton-M launch vehicle with a Briz-M upper stage lifted off from Pad 39 in Baikonur Cosmodrome on August 5, 2006, at 01:48 Moscow Time (21:48 GMT on August 4). The vehicle carried the HOT BIRD 8 communications satellite into the geostationary orbit for the Eutelsat of Paris. Built by EADS Space, the 4,875-kilogram HOT BIRD 8 is based on the consortium's Eurostar E3000 platform. The Multipurpose Ku-band communications satellite was designed to provide 950 TV channels and 600 radio stations to cable and satellite-equipped homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, as well as Russia and Kazakhstan. The largest spacecraft in the Eutelsat fleet, HOT BIRD 8 carries 64 transponders and is expected to work for 15 years. The satellite’s was expected to replace 20 transponders on the HOT BIRD 3 satellite, which will continue service at a new location. In conjunction with HOT BIRD 7A, which was launched in February 2006, it was also expected to contribute to raising in-orbit redundancy in Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD neighborhood. Some 12 minutes after the launch, International Launch Services, ILS, which markets the Proton rocket worldwide, confirmed separation of the Briz-M upper stage and its payload from the third stage of the launch vehicle and first ignition of the Briz-M upper stage. After a total five burns of the Briz-M upper stage and nine hours 11 minutes after launch, HOT BIRD 8 successfully separated in a 35,786 by 3,800-kilometer orbit with an inclination of 13 degrees toward the Equator at 06:59 GMT on August 5, 2006. Eutelsat confirmed that its ground control station in Rambouillet near Paris, France, successfully had acquired signal from the satellite. The satellite was expected to use its own propulsion system to enter its final orbit, positioned 13 degrees East over the Equator. It would also deploy its solar panels and antenna reflectors, which were to follow by a series of in-orbit tests, Eutelsat said. The contract for this mission of the Proton rocket was announced on Feb. 10, 2005, and at the time, the launch was expected in the first quarter of 2006. The launch was later re-scheduled for May 17, July 7 and July 21, 2006. The payload arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 6, 2006. 2006 Nov. 8: A Proton-M rocket equipped with a Briz-M upper stage blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome's Pad 39 at Site 200 on November 8, 2006 at 23:01 Moscow Time. It carried the Arabsat-4B communications satellite built by EADS Astrium of France. The 3,304-kilogram spacecraft based on the Eurostar 2000+ platform carried 32 transponders and is designed for a 15-year nominal lifetime. It is to be positioned in a geostationary orbit 26 East longitude over the Equator. This launch was originally scheduled for September 22, 2006. 2006 Dec. 12: A Proton Briz-M launch vehicle successfully placed the MEASAT-3 satellite into orbit today, for the final mission of the year for International Launch Services (ILS). The launcher lifted off at 5:28 a.m. today local time (6:28 p.m. EST, 23:28 GMT on December 11). The payload was released into a geosynchronous transfer orbit 9 hours and 12 minutes after a liftoff. This was the fourth Proton mission of the year for ILS. ILS has exclusive rights to market and manage missions on the Russian Proton vehicle for commercial satellite customers worldwide. The satellite is a 601HP model built for MEASAT Satellite Systems (MEASAT) Sdn Bhd by Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc. From its final orbital position at 91.5 degrees East longitude, MEASAT-3 was to serve customers in more than 100 countries at C-band and in Malaysia, Indonesia and South Asian with DTH-quality Ku-band coverage. This was MEASAT's first launch on an ILS Proton vehicle, as well as the 10th 601 model spacecraft launched on Proton. The agreement for this mission was announced on Sept. 4, 2003 and at the time launch was expected in May 2005. It was then postponed to the third quarter of 2006. 2007 April 10: A Proton rocket launched a Canadian communications satellite into geostationary orbit. A Proton with the Briz-M upper stage, carrying the Anik F3 spacecraft for Telesat of Canada, lifted off on April 10, 2007, at 02:54:00 Moscow Summer Time from Pad 39 at Site 200 in Baikonur. The first three stages of the Proton used a standard ascent trajectory to place the Breeze M fourth stage and the Anik F3 satellite into a sub-orbital trajectory, from which the Briz-M would place itself and the spacecraft into a circular reference parking orbit. Once Anik F3 reached the reference orbit, it was expected to maneuver to a transfer orbit with a series of total five burns of the Briz-M. Separation was scheduled approximately 9 hours, 11 minutes after liftoff. Around 03:16 Moscow Time Tuesday, (7:21 p.m. EST Monday) International Launch Service, ILS, which markets the vehicle, confirmed that the first burn of the Briz-M upper stage had been successful. The next morning, the company confirmed that the satellite had successfully separated from the Briz-M on April 10, 2007 at 4:05 a.m. EDT, (08:05 GMT on April 11). The 4,715-kilogram Anik F3 is a commercial communications satellite built by EADS Astrium for Telesat. It is based on the Eurostar 3000 standard platform and has a projected lifespan of more than 15 years. The satellite has three payloads: a 32 channel Ku-band, a 24 channel C-band, and a 2 channel Ka-band. The C-band and Ku-band payloads will carry a wide range of telecommunications, broadcasting, business communications and Internet-based services throughout North America. The small Ka-band payload will supplement services now being carried on Anik F2. Anik F3 will be located at 118.7 degrees West longitude. If everything goes as scheduled the satellite will enter service in May 2007. The agreement for the launch was announced on April 28, 2004, and the mission was expected to take place as early as Nov. 26, 2006. Modified Proton launches comsat 2007 July 7: A Russian rocket lifted a communications satellite for the American satellite TV provider. The Proton-M vehicle with a Briz-M upper stage lifted off from Cosmodrome Baikonur's Pad 39 at Site 200 on July 7, 2007, at 05:16 Moscow Time, carrying the DIRECTV 10 communications satellite. According to the Russian space agency, Roskosmos, the Briz upper stage with its payload successfully separated from the third stage of the launch vehicle in an initial parking orbit at 05:25 Moscow Time. After several engine firings, the DIRECTV 10 spacecraft was expected to separate from the upper stage at 14:24 Moscow Time on July 7. The 5,893-kilogram DIRECTV 10 spacecraft is based on Boeing's 702 platform and designed for broadcasting high-definition TV signals over the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii. Its "dry" mass (without propellant and consumables) is 3,715 kilograms. The satellite is expected to operate for 15 years in the geostationary orbit in the point 102.8 degrees and 99.2 degrees West longitude, over the Equator. The spacecraft carries total 131 Ku-band transponders for national and spot beams and solar panels spanning 48 meters. This was a 16th flight of the Proton-M/Briz-M rocket and the 326th launch in the Proton family of rockets. The mission was delayed from June 20, 2007, at the request of the payload owner. Proton/Briz-Modifications Specifically for the DIRECTV 10 mission, the Proton-M was upgraded to carry a heavier payload. On the first stage, the engines were modified to enable a 112 percent increase in thrust, while propellant tanks were made thinner than standard. On the second stage, a composite structure replaced the standard stringer and beam body of the avionics bay. The structures forming the propellant tanks were also modified to reduce weight. On the third stage, composite materials also replaced traditional structures forming the tail section. Finally, the entire launch vehicle lacked its usual white paint, as a weight-saving measure. The Briz-M upper stage for the DIRECTV 10 mission was also modified. The number of pressurization tanks located inside the avionics section and supplying the attitude control system was reduced from to six to two with an increased volume of 80 liters. The set of flight control avionics was moved to the center of the stage to reduce impact during the separation of the external tank. The external tank's structure was modified. Small vernier thrusters were also modified for higher performance. Published: 2007 Sept. 6; updated Sept. 10 Russia's workhorse rocket failed shortly after the launch from Kazakhstan. A Proton/Breeze M rocket, carrying the JCSAT-11 comsat for JSAT Corp. of Tokyo, Japan, blasted off from Pad 39 at Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sept. 6, 2007, at 02:43 Moscow Time (Sept 5, 2007, 22:43 GMT). According to a representative of the Russian space agency, Roskosmos, the launch vehicle's second stage failed to separate, and one of the engines on the rocket did not functioned properly, leading to the termination of the flight at T+135 seconds, as the vehicle was 76 kilometers above the Earth surface. (According to the nominal flight program, at T+135 seconds, the first stage would have already separated and engines of the second stage would have fired.) Proton returns to flight successfully Published: 2007 Oct. 26 Less than two months after its failure, the Proton rocket returned to flight, successfully delivering a trio of satellites for the Russian global navigation system, GLONASS. The Proton-K rocket equipped with a Block DM upper stage and carrying three Uragan-M (GLONASS-M No. 18, 19, 20) satellites lifted off from Pad 24 at Site 81 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct. 26, 2007, at 11:35:24 Moscow Time. According to a representative of the Russian space agency, Roskosmos, the upper stage successfully delivered all three spacecraft to its nominal orbit with an altitude 19,100 kilometers above the Earth surface and an inclination 64.8 degrees toward the Equator. At 15:07 Moscow Time, the satellites successfully separated from the Block DM upper stage. Ground control then conducted two communication sessions with the spacecraft at 15:15 and 15:40 Moscow Time. According to a statemeent from the satellite manufacturer, NPO PM, on March 27, 2007, this mission was expected in September 2007. 2007 Nov. 18: Russia has launched a commercial satellite for a Swedish company. The Proton-M rocket with a Briz-M upper stage blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome’s Pad 39 at 04:39 local time on Nov. 18, 2007, (5:39 p.m. EST on Nov. 17) The vehicle carried the SIRIUS 4 communications satellite for SES SIRIUS of Stockholm, Sweden. Officials overseeing the launch had confirmed that the vehicle successfully reached its initial orbit. The 4,385-kilogram spacecraft is based on the A2100 AX platform developed Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, of Newtown, Penn. The SIRIUS 4 satellite sports 52 active Ku-band transponders and 2 active Ka-band transponders. During its nominal 15-year life span, the SIRIUS 4 was expected to provide a wide range of telecommunications services over Europe, Africa and the Baltic/Nordic region. During the launch, the first three stages of the Proton were expected to use a standard ascent trajectory to place the Briz-M fourth stage, with the satellite, into a suborbital trajectory, from which the Briz-M would place itself and the spacecraft into a circular parking orbit 173 kilometers above the Earth surface and inclined 51.5 degrees toward the Equator. After three more firings, the Briz was expected to inject its payload into a 35,786 by 7,030-kilometer transfer orbit with an inclination 17.3 degrees toward the Equator. Following separation from the Briz-M nine hours 13 minutes after the launch, the satellite was to perform a series of liquid apogee burns to raise perigee, lower inclination, and circularize the orbit at the geostationary altitude of 35,786 kilometers to reach its final position of 5 degrees East longitude over the Equator. The contract to launch SIRIUS 4 was announced on May 4, 2005. The mission was previously expected in the second quarter of 2007 and was later postponed to July 7, 2007, and August 2007. 2007 Dec. 9: Russia successfully delivered a classified payload for the nation's armed forces, official media reported. The Proton-M rocket with a Briz-M upper stage blasted off from Site 81 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on December 9, 2007, at 03:16 Moscow Time (00:16 UTC). The satellite successfully reached its intended orbit at 12:17 Moscow Time. Official reports about the launch identified the spacecraft in the traditional manner as part of the Kosmos-series, providing no details about its mission. However the commander of the Russian space forces, Vladimir Popovkin, who oversaw the launch in Baikonur, told state-controlled Channel I that the mission was conducted within the flight test program of a new-generation spacecraft. "This vehicle works in a wide range of waves and frequencies. It is designed for providing communications for the armed forces and other enforcement agencies, as well as in the interests of social development of our country," Popovkin said. Even before the launch, independent observers characterized the payload of the mission as the Globus communications satellite. 2007 Dec. 25: Russia launched a second trio of navigation satellites aimed to complete the national global positioning system. A Proton M rocket with a Block DM-2 upper stage lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Dec. 25, 2007, at 22:32 Moscow Decree Time. It carried three Uragan-M satellites for Russia's GLONASS navigation network. The mission was designed to deliver the satellites into a circular orbit with an altitude 19,137 kilometers above the Earth surface and an inclination 64.8 degrees toward the Equator. According to a press-release by the Khrunichev enterprise, the developer of the Proton rocket, issued shortly after liftoff, the launch went nominally. The satellites were expected to separate from the upper stage on December 26, 2007 at 02:24 Moscow Time. 2008 Jan. 28: Russia launched an Express-series communications satellite in the pre-dawn hours of Monday. The Proton-M rocket equipped witha Briz-M upper stage lifted off on Jan. 28, 2008, at 3:18:00 Moscow Time from Site 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It carried the Express-AM33 satellite toward a geostationary orbit. The spacecraft was developed by NPO PM of Zheleznogorsk for Russia's Satellite Communications Company, RSCC. The Russian space agency, Roskosmos, reported that the Briz-M upper stage and its payload successfully separated from the rocket and continued their path toward their final orbit. The 2,600-kilogram Express-AM33 satellite was to be placed at 96.5 degrees East longitude above the Equator, where it was expected to function for 12 years. The launch of Express-AM33 was previously expected in September 2007. 2008 Feb. 11: After a one-day delay on the launch pad, Russia delivered a commercial communications satellite for a Norwegian customer. A Proton-M rocket equipped with a Briz-M upper stage lifted off on Feb. 11, 2008, at 14:34 Moscow Time from Site 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It carried the 1,940-kilogram THOR-5 (THOR-2R) communications satellite for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting based in Oslo, Norway. The flight plan called The Proton launch vehicle to use a 4-burn Briz-M flight profile to inject the satellite directly into geostationary orbit. (In most similar missions, an upper stage releases a communications satellite in an elliptical transfer orbit, and then the spacecraft uses its own propulsion system to enter its final orbit.) The first three stages of the Proton booster were to follow a standard ascent trajectory to place the Briz-M fourth stage, with the satellite, into a suborbital trajectory, from which the Briz-M will place itself and the spacecraft into a circular parking orbit of 173 km inclined at 51.5 degrees. From there, the unit will be propelled into geostationary orbit, and its inclination reduced, through a series of additional burns According to the Khrunichev enterprise, the Proton rocket manufacturer, the vehicle successfully reached its initial parking orbit. Separation between the Briz-M and THOR-5 was scheduled for 23:56 Moscow Time on Feb. 11, 2008, or nine hours, 22 minutes, 50 seconds after liftoff. The THOR-5 spacecraft is based on the STAR 2 platform developed by Orbital Sciences Corp based in Dulles, Va, USA. It is intended to provide broadcasting and interactive services in the Nordic region, Europe and the Middle East. The satellite is equipped with 24 active Ku-band transponders: 15 for FSS and 9 for BSS; 5 active BSS transponders available through steerable antenna. The spacecraft was expected to be positioned at 1 degree West longitude and had an anticipated service life of 15 years. The mission was delayed from the fourth quarter of 2007, Feb. 6 and Feb. 10, 2008. 2008 March 15: The workhorse rocket of the Russian space program left its cargo in a useless orbit just half a year after a previous failure. The Proton-M rocket with Briz-M upper stage lifted off from Baikonur at 02:18:55 Moscow Time, carrying the AMC-14 communications satellite. According to International Launch Service, ILS, which markets the vehicles around the world, preliminary flight information indicated that the anomaly occurred during the second burn of the Briz-M upper stage. According to the Russian Space Agency, Roskosmos, at 02:28:41 Moscow Time, the payload section, including the satellite and the Briz-M upper stage separated from the third stage of the rocket and continued flight on a suborbital trajectory. The Briz-M then fired for the first time placing itself and the payload in the initial parking orbit. However during the second burn, Briz-M fired for 32 minutes, shutting down 2 minutes 13 seconds ahead of schedule, Roskosmos said. The AMC-14 had separated from the upper stage and remained under control, however its orbit had an altitude of 28,000 kilometers, instead of planned 36,000 kilometers, according to Roskosmos. A similar failure took place in March 2006, when the rocket failed to deliver ARABSAT 4A spacecraft. A Russian State Commission has begun the process of determining the reasons for the anomaly. In parallel with the State Commission, ILS will form its own Failure Review Oversight Board. The FROB will review the commission's final report and corrective action plan, in accord with U.S. and Russian government export control regulations, ILS said. The mission was previously planned for the second quarter of 2006 and December 2007. On April 21, 2008, the International Launch Services announced that "the cause of the failure has been traced to rupture of the gas duct between the gas generator and the propellant pump turbine in the Briz-M main engine. The most probable cause of the gas duct rupture was due to the combined effects of duct wall erosion, high temperatures and prolonged low frequency pressure fluctuation in the duct." According to the company, its Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) was to meet in Moscow on April 25, 2008, to commence an in-depth review and assessment of the Russian State Commission investigation. In addition to propulsion and industry experts and representatives of the insurance industry, the FROB was also to include customer representatives. Addressing the larger picture of actions, Khrunichev has initiated a broad-based quality initiative, ILS said. Key elements of the plan include overall assessment and review of the Quality Management System, assessment of changes to increase overall reliability, evaluation of all production factors affecting quality and increased customer visibility into product and process quality. Owner of the AMC-14 satellite, SES AMERICOM, announced that it was declaring the bird a total loss. However, there were conflicting reports on the future fate of the satellite and possible efforts to deorbit the vehicle. 2008 June 27: The Proton-K with Block DM upper stage rocket blasted off Site 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on June 27, 2008, at 03:59 Moscow Time, the official Russian ITAR-TASS news agency reported. According to the Russian Space Forces, VKS, the launch went as scheduled and at 04:06:30 Moscow Time, the vehicle established radio-contact with ground control. The separation between the payload and the upper stage was scheduled for 10:37 Moscow Time on June 27, 2008. Although the nature of the payload in this mission was not officially announced prior to launch, the Proton rockets were long known to deliver two types of military satellites: the communications and early-warning satellites. Both are delivered into geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometers above the Earth surface. Following this launch, however, the semi-official Interfax news agency quoted Aleksei Kuznetsov, secretary of Defense Minister confirming that the purpose of the launch was to replenish the SPRN early-warning system. The network is known to employ 71Kh6 satellites equipped with infra-red sensors to detect exhaust plumes of missiles. 2008 Aug. 19: Russia's workhorse Proton-M rocket conducted its first commercial mission Tuesday after the failure in March. An enhanced version of the Proton M rocket with the Briz-M upper stage, lifted off from Pad 39 at the Baikonur cosmodrome on Aug. 19, 2008, at 4:43 local time (22:43 GMT on Aug. 18), carrying the Inmarsat-4 F3 communications satellite. Nine hours and three minutes after the liftoff, the satellite separated from the upper stage of the launch vehicle in a geosynchronous transfer orbit, the International Launch Services, ILS, announced. The Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite, a Eurostar 3000GM model built by EADS Astrium, is expected to go into service at 98 degrees West longitude, where it will deliver mobile broadband services over the United States for Inmarsat of London. The F3 satellite, weighing more than 5900 kg, was to be one of the heaviest commercial payloads to date for Proton. According to the manufacturer, the spacecraft was among the most sophisticated commercial satellites ever launched and 60 times more powerful than its predecessors. The contract for the launch was announced on Aug. 7, 2007. The mission was previously planned for March, April, May and Aug. 14, 2008, 04:46 Baikonur Time. After leaving the AMC-14 satellite in a useless orbit due to the Briz-M upper stage failure in March, the Inmarsat launch became the "return to flight mission" for Proton-M. On Aug. 4, 2008, ILS announced that the mission has been delayed to allow time to replace and retest the launcher's electrical component. During pre-launch testing in Baikonur, a problem was discovered with the flight computer on the Briz-M upper stage. The vendor-supplied flight computer was replaced over the weekend of Aug. 3. To ensure mission success, Khrunichev specialists had to check out the new component. According to ILS, the mission would be delayed by a matter of days and a new target launch date would be announced later that week after testing is completed. 2008 Sept. 20: The Proton rocket successfully carried the Nimiq 4 satellite into orbit for Telesat of Canada, an International Launch Services (ILS), which markets the vehicle around the world said. The Proton M rocket with Briz-M upper stage lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sept. 20, 2008 at 03:48 local time (or 5:48 p.m. EDT, 21:48 GMT on Sept. 19). After a 9-hour and 11-minute flight, the 5-ton satellite was released into geosynchronous transfer orbit. Eventually, the engineers at Astrium were expected to move the satellite to 82 degrees West longitude, where it was designed to deliver direct-to-home television across Canada. The satellite, built by EADS Astrium, was based on the Eurostar 3000 bus. The contract for the mission was announced on Feb. 7, 2006. After the Inmarsat-4 F3 launch in August 2008, the mission was postponed from Sept. 17 to Sept. 19, 2008. On Sept. 17, 2008, ILS announced that the launch was postponed for 24 hours to replace an avionics unit on the first stage of the Proton M rocket which showed anomalous signature during routine pre-launch testing. The next attempt was re-scheduled for Sept. 20, 2008, local time in Baikonur. 2008 Sept. 25: Russia launched trio of navigation satellites for the nation's GLONASS global positioning system. The Proton-M rocket with the Block DM upper stage lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sept. 25, 2008 at 12:49 Moscow Time. It carried three Uragan-M (GLONASS-M) satellites, which were successfully delivered into the planned orbit at 16:20 Moscow Time, a representative of the Russian space forces said. The mission was previosuly expected in July 2008. 2008 Nov. 6: A Proton M/Breeze M launch vehicle successfully lifted the ASTRA 1M satellite into orbit, the International Launch Services, ILS, announced. The Proton vehicle lifted off from Pad 39 at the cosmodrome at 02:44:20 local time (20:44 GMT, Nov. 5). After a 9-hour-12-minute mission, the launcher released the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite will eventually go into operation at 19.2 degrees East longitude for SES ASTRA of Luxembourg. The design of the ASTRA 1M satellite is based on the Eurostar 3000 bus by EADS Astrium of France. The mission was postponed from Oct. 31, 2008, 03:30:00 Baikonur Time and Nov. 3, 2008. 2008 Dec. 10: Russia launched the first satellite for Canada's newest satellite operator. The A Proton M/Breeze M, lifted off on Dec. 10, 2008, at 16:43 Moscow Time (19:43 local, 13:43 GMT) from Pad 39 in Baikonur Cosmodrome. It carried the Ciel-2 satellite for the Ciel Satellite Group of Toronto, Ontario. The first three stages of the Proton used a standard ascent trajectory to place the Breeze M fourth stage and the Ciel-2 satellite into a suborbital trajectory. From there the Breeze M placed itself and the spacecraft into a circular parking orbit. Following four additional burns of the Breeze M, the satellite was to be injected into a geostationary transfer orbit. Separation was expected approximately nine hours, 12 minutes after a liftoff in the 35,603 by 5,597-kilometer orbit with the inclination 19.5 degrees toward the Equator. The satellites was designed to use its own engines to reach its assigned orbital position of 129 degrees West longitude over the Equator. SES AMERICOM Inc., a minority partner in Ciel, was the contracting agent for the launch arranged by the International Launch Services. The contract for the launch was announced on Feb. 15, 2007. At the time, the launch was expected at the end of 2008. Ciel 2 is a Spacebus 4000 C4 model satellite, the largest Spacebus class satellite built by Alcatel Alenia (Thales Alenia), with a mass of 5,575 kg (5,561 kilogram according to December 2008 ILS data). The high-powered spacecraft equipped with 32 Ku-band transponders and a projected lifespan of 16 years was designed to deliver high-definition and other TV services throughout Canada and the larger North American market, with DISH Network Corp. as its "anchor customer." 2009 Feb. 11: A Proton M rocket equipped with Breeze M upper stage lifted off from Site 200 in Baikonur Cosmodrome on Feb. 11, 2009, at 03:03 Moscow Time, carrying Express-AM44 and Express-MD1 communications satellites for Russia's Satellite Communications Organization. The mission was originally scheduled for December 2007, June, August, Sept. 25 and December 2008. 2009 Feb. 28: A Proton K rocket lifted off from Site 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome on Feb. 28, 2009, at 07:10 Moscow Time, carrying the Raduga-1 (Globus) communications satellite for the Russian military. 2009 April 3: The Proton rocket successfully carried the W2A satellite to orbit for Eutelsat Communications of France. The launch vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 3, 2009, at 10:24 p.m. local time (12:24 p.m. EDT, 16:24 GMT). The launch of the W2A satellite marks the first ILS launch of the year and the 50th commercial launch overall for ILS; a significant milestone. The Proton Briz M vehicle is built by Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow and has a heritage of 344 missions since its inception. The W2A spacecraft built by ThalesAleniaSpace, is a Spacebus 4000 C4 model and carried three payloads including the first S-band payload for Europe. The W2A C-band and Ku-band payloads for Eutelsat will provide Europe, Africa and the Middle East with an array of professional video and business services. Solaris Mobile is a joint venture between SES Astra and Eutelsat. The satellite, the 27th in the Eutelsat fleet, will be operated at Eutelsat’s 10 degrees East location, an orbital location used by Eutelsat for over 20 years. The mission was delayed from March 28, 16:29 UTC. 2009 May 16: Proton rocket successfully carried the IndoStar 2/ProtoStar 2 satellite into orbit today, marking the second commercial mission of the year for International Launch Services (ILS) and the fourth successful Proton launch of 2009. The Indostar II/Protostar II satellite was launched for Protostar LTD of Bermuda and will be commercially operated for Indovision of Jakarta, Indonesia, the largest Direct to Home operator in Indonesia. A Proton M rocket equipped with the Breeze M upper stage lifted off from Pad 39 in Baikonur Cosmodrome, on May 16, 2009, at 6:57 a.m. local time (8:57 p.m. EDT, 00:57 GMT). After a 9 hour 15 minute mission, the Breeze M successfully released the satellite into the planned geo-transfer orbit. This was the 345th launch for the Proton. The Indostar II/Protostar II satellite, located at 107.7 degrees East, was built on the Boeing 601 HP platform and is the second satellite in Protostar’s evolving constellation. This satellite replaces the existing Chakarawarta 1 and will bring high power S-band and Ku-band capacity over Indonesia, with expanded service to India, the Philippines and Taiwan. The satellite’s S-band transponders will support Direct to Home TV and Radio services for Indovision. The satellite will also offer HDTV multimedia and broadband services throughout the ASEAN region. The contract for the mission was announced on April 1, 2008. (Delayed from the first quarter and late April 2009, at the beginning of May posponed from May 14, 2009, at 00:58 GMT, and from May 15, 2009 at 00:57 GMT) 2009 June 30: Proton rocket successfully delivered the SIRIUS FM-5 satellite, the International Launch Services announced. The Proton M rocket with the Briz M upper stage lifted off from Pad 39 in Baikonur Cosmodrome, on July 1, 2009, at 1:10 a.m. local time (June 30, 2009, at 3:10 p.m. EDT, 19:10 GMT). After a 9 hour 14 minute mission, the Briz M successfully released the SIRIUS FM-5 satellite, weighing over 5.8 metric tons, into geo-transfer orbit. The SIRIUS FM-5 satellite, located at 96 degrees West, was built on the flight proven Space Systems/Loral 1300 platform and is the fourth satellite in SIRIUS’ constellation, all built by Space Systems/Loral. SIRIUS FM-5 is one of the most powerful satellites constructed with an X-band uplink and an S-band downlink payload. The satellite carries a range of technologies which will allow for highly concentrated transmissions to small, advanced devices. This was the 346th launch for the Proton. It was previously planned for 2008, early June 2009 and June 29, 2009. Page author: Anatoly Zak; Last update: July 1, 2009 Editor: Alain Chabot; Last edit: February 12, 2008 All rights reserved |
PICTURE GALLERY
Scale models used in dynamic testing illustrate the development history of the Proton rocket. Seen on the right is the early concept of the Proton rocket which would be comprised of four UR-200 missiles. The UR-200 can be seen separately on the left. The model in the center represents the final version of the UR-500 rocket. Copyright © 2001 by Anatoly Zak
A decorative scale model of the UR-500 launcher apparently showing the early configuration of the booster designed to carry LK-1, a manned spacecraft for lunar flyby. OKB-52, the Proton developer, presented this model to its rival OKB-1, which was developing its own version of the circumlunar spacecraft. Ironically, it was OKB-1's L1 spacecraft for circumlunar mission, which ultimately rode the Proton into space, while LK-1 project was abandoned. Copyright © 2001 by Anatoly Zak
Stills from the film footage , documenting the launch of the two-stage version of UR-500 rocket. Credit: Khrunichev
The Proton rocket with the L1 spacecraft for the circumlunar mission is poised for launch in Baikonur.
The concept of the UR-500LKS complex, designed to carry the LKS "mini-shuttle" into orbit. Credit: NPO Mash
The Proton rocket with the Zarya FGB control module is being erected on the launch pad in November 1998. Click to enlarge.
The payload fairing, which covered the FGB module during its ride to orbit onboard the Proton rocket in November 1998. Click to enlarge. Credit: Khrunichev
A three-stage Proton rocket being rolled out to the launch pad in Baikonur. This version of the vehicle launched Soviet Salyut space stations, the core module of the Mir Space Station and the Zvezda service module for the International Space Station. Copyright © 2001 by Anatoly Zak
The scale model of the Proton-M rocket, the latest addition to the Proton family. Copyright © 2001 by Anatoly Zak
Comparison of Proton-K and Proton-M launch vehicles. Credit: ILS
Tail view of the Proton rocket shows its first stage with six external tanks and six main RD-253 engines. Copyright © 2000 by Anatoly Zak
The 11D43 engine proposed by Valentin Glushko around 1960 for the first stage of the Proton rocket. It had low-expansion ratio and could be gimbaled to control the rocket in flight. Four such engines along with four 8D43 engines would be used on the first stage, if this configuration was ever approved. Copyright © 2000 by Anatoly Zak
A full scale mockup of the RD-253 engine for the Proton's first stage. Copyright © 2002 by Anatoly Zak
The RD-301 engine intended for the Proton's 11S813 fourth stage, which would burn a mix of liquid fluorine and ammiak! The combination, which has been under development since July 1969, was designed for the delivery of SNTV telecommunications satellite. The program of both the satellite and its upper stage was canceled in 1977. Copyright © 2002 by Anatoly Zak
Proton rocket lifts off with Amazonas satellite on Aug. 5, 2004. Credit: ILS
Artist rendering of the HotBird-8 spacecraft in the geostationary orbit.
Proton-M launches HOT BIRD 8 on August 5, 2006.
The Proton rocket launches Arabsat-4B on November 8, 2006.
The Briz-M upper stage explodes over Australia in a 30-minute exposure photograph, during the night from February 19 to 20, 2007. Click to enlarge Copyright: Ray Palmer / MyAstroSpace.com / NaturePeak.com.au
The Proton M returns to flight with the Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008. Credit: ILS
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