Nimiq 6 Launch Marks the 5th Proton Launch in 93 Days
International Launch Services (ILS), a world leader in providing mission and launch services to the commercial satellite industry, successfully carried the Nimiq 6 satellite into the planned orbit today on an ILS Proton for Telesat, a leading global fixed satellite services operator headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. The ILS Proton Breeze M launched from Pad 24 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 1:12 a.m. today local time (19:12 GMT, 3:12 p.m. EDT, on May 17). After a 9 hour 14 minute 5-burn mission, the Breeze M successfully released the satellite, weighing approximately 4.5 metric tons, into the planned geostationary transfer orbit. This was the 377th launch for the Proton vehicle since its inaugural flight in 1965 and the 73rd ILS Proton launch. The launch of the Nimiq 6 satellite was the 5th Proton launch in the past 93 days. Read more
Proton-M carrier rocket blasts off with Canadian sat onboard
Russia's Proton-M carrier rocket with the Nimiq-6 satellite onboard blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome on Thursday, the press service of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) reports. Read more
The Proton M launch vehicle, utilising a 5-burn Breeze M mission design, will lift-off from Pad 24 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, with the Nimiq 6 satellite on board. The first three stages of the Proton will use a standard ascent profile to place the orbital unit (Breeze M upper stage and the Nimiq 6 satellite) into a sub-orbital trajectory. From this point in the mission, the Breeze M will perform planned mission manoeuvres 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 Nimiq 6 satellite is scheduled to occur approximately 9 hours, 14 minutes after liftoff. Read more
International Launch Services (ILS) and Telesat, one of the world's largest fixed satellite services operators, announced today a contract for the ILS Proton launch of Telesats Nimiq 6 satellite scheduled for mid-2012. Nimiq 6 is an all Ku-band satellite with 32 high power transponders that will be located at 91 degrees West Longitude. The 5 metric ton spacecraft is now under construction at Space Systems/Loral and will utilise their flight proven 1300 platform over its planned mission life of 15 years. Nimiq 6 is fully leased to Bell TV for the satellite's lifetime to serve the fast growing number of Bell TV subscribers across Canada. Read more
Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications and the leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that it has been selected to provide a satellite for Telesat, one of the world's leading satellite operators. The new satellite, Nimiq 6, which is fully leased to Bell TV, will provide Direct-to-Home television service in Canada.