BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the countdown and launch of the Russian Proton rocket carrying the AMC 15 telecommunications satellite. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2004

The AMERICOM 15 communications spacecraft that will broadcast direct-to-home entertainment and broadband services across the U.S. was successfully launched aboard a commercial Russian Proton rocket today. Read our launch story.

0455 GMT (12:55 a.m. EDT)

SUCCESS. The Breeze M upper stage completed final engine firing and then deployed the 8,900-pound craft into geosynchronous transfer orbit to conclude the seven-hour ascent.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2004
2305 GMT (7:05 p.m. EDT)

The Breeze M upper stage has completed its second engine firing of three planned during tonight's launch.

The first burn headed to a circular 107-mile high orbit inclined 51.5 degrees to the equator. The second firing put the stage and AMC 15 payload into a highly elliptical orbit. The 34-minute burn was designed to raise one side of the orbit to geosynchronous altitude at 22,220 miles, boost the orbit's low point, or perigee, to 550 miles and lower inclination to 49.1 degrees.

After engine shutdown following the second burn, the emptied Additional Propellant Tank ringing the Breeze M stage was jettisoned.

The stage is now coasting through space to reach the current orbit's high point where the final engine firing is planned to raise the perigee and significantly lower the inclination before releasing AMC 15 about seven hours into the mission.

2158 GMT (5:58 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 35 minutes. Everything is going well in today's Proton mission. The Breeze M carried out its initial firing to reach the parking orbit around Earth. Two more burns by the upper stage will boost the AMC 15 satellite into the desired geosynchronous transfer orbit over the next several hours tonight.

2140 GMT (5:40 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 17 minutes. The first Breeze M firing should be complete by now. However, there was no immediate confirmation from ILS.

The Breeze M upper stage and AMC 15 will enter a coast period that will last until T+plus 58 minutes, 41 seconds when the stage re-ignites for a 34-minute firing to reach an intermediate orbit.

A third and final burn, lasting six minutes, will begin at T+plus 6 hours, 36 minutes.

The AMC 15 spacecraft will be deployed into a targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit of 22,236 x 4,486 miles at 18.6 degrees. Separation of the satellite from the upper stage to complete the launch is expected at T+plus 6 hours, 54 minutes.

We'll update this page when the next information is released from International Launch Services.

2137 GMT (5:37 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 14 minutes, 50 seconds. ILS now confirms that the Proton's third stage engine shut down and jettisoned. The Breeze M has since ignited for a planned five-minute, 21-second burn to reach orbit.

2135 GMT (5:35 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 12 minutes. Based on the planned timeline, the Breeze M upper stage should have ignited for its first firing of the night. But we're still awaiting word from ILS.

2134 GMT (5:34 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 11 minutes. Standing by for confirmation from ILS of third stage engine cutoff and separation of the spent stage.

The Breeze M upper stage and attached AMC 15 spacecraft would be on a suborbital trajectory in preparation for the first of three planned firings by the upper stage to reach geosynchronous transfer orbit over the next several hours.

2132 GMT (5:32 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes. Less than a minute remains in the third stage firing.

2129 GMT (5:29 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes, 30 seconds. The payload fairing enclosing the AMC 15 spacecraft atop the rocket has separated. The third stage continues to fire.

2129 GMT (5:29 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes. The second stage was jettisoned and the Proton third stage has been ignited.

2128 GMT (5:28 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 5 minutes, 15 seconds. Coming up on burn out and separation of the second stage. Vehicle is still visible.

2127 GMT (5:27 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 4 minutes. Long-range tracking cameras at Baikonur continue to follow the rocket as a bright star in the clear nighttime sky.

2126 GMT (5:26 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. The rocket remains stable as the second stage continues to fire.

2126 GMT (5:26 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes. Engine chamber pressures on the second stage are reported normal.

2125 GMT (5:25 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes, 25 seconds. The first stage engines have shut down and the spent stage has separated. The four second stage engines have ignited to continue boosting the vehicle to space.

2124 GMT (5:24 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 90 seconds. There is a half-minute remaining in the first stage burn.

2124 GMT (5:24 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 75 seconds. Vehicle systems are performing well, mission control reports.

2124 GMT (5:24 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 60 seconds. The vehicle is now approaching the period of maximum dynamic pressure during its climb through the atmosphere.

2123 GMT (5:23 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 30 seconds. The six liquid-fueled engines on the Proton rocket's first stage are firing to propel the vehicle into the predawn sky at Baikonur Cosmodrome.

2123 GMT (5:23 p.m. EDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the commercial Proton rocket carrying the American AMC 15 communications broadcast satellite!

2122 GMT (5:22 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 60 seconds.

2121 GMT (5:21 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 2 minutes. All systems remain "go" for liftoff for an on-time liftoff.

2118 GMT (5:18 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 5 minutes. The launch readiness of the Proton core vehicle, Breeze M upper stage and AMC 15 spacecraft will be verified over the next few minutes in the countdown.

2116 GMT (5:16 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 7 minutes and counting. The Proton rocket weighs about 1.5 million pounds as it sits on the launch pad. The AMC 15 spacecraft accounts for about 8,900 pounds of the weight. The Proton's six first stage engines will be ignited at launch to boost the rocket off the ground.

2114 GMT (5:14 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 9 minutes and counting. Today's Proton flight is being managed by International Launch Services. ILS is the firm that sells American Atlas and Russian Proton launches on the commercial market. Since forming in 1995, ILS has performed 30 Proton flights coming into today.

So far in 2004, ILS has carried out eight launches including five Atlas missions and three Protons.

2109 GMT (5:09 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 14 minutes and counting. The weather is within limits for today's Proton launch with a temperature of 37 degrees F, winds from the northwest at 7-10 m/s and dry conditions, ILS says.

2106 GMT (5:06 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 17 minutes and counting. International Launch Services reports that the Proton rocket remains ready for liftoff carrying the AMC 15 satellite.

Today's launch time is 2123 GMT (5:23 p.m. EDT) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is currently 3:23 a.m. local time at the launch site as the countdown continues for the predawn liftoff.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2004

The countdown is underway at Baikonur Cosmodrome for today's Proton rocket launch of the AMC 15 communications satellite that will broadcast direct-to-home TV programming to EchoStar's DISH Network subscribers in the U.S.

Liftoff of the modernized Proton M booster fitted with a Breeze M upper stage carrying the 8,900-pound AMC 15 craft is scheduled for 2123 GMT (5:23 p.m. EDT) from the historic launch site in Central Asia.

The lower three stages of the Khrunichev-built Proton will fire during the mission's first 10 minutes, placing the Breeze M upper stage and attached AMC 15 satellite on a suborbital trajectory.

The initial firing of the Breeze M is needed to achieve a temporary parking orbit around Earth at an altitude of 107 miles, inclined 51.5 degrees.

Two additional burns by the upper stage will follow in a pre-scripted sequence to reach geosynchronous transfer orbit for release of AMC 15 at T+plus 6 hours, 54 minutes, 30 seconds.

The targeted spacecraft separation orbit has an apogee of 22,236 miles, perigee of 4,486 miles and inclination of 18.6 degrees.

AMC 15 will rely upon its onboard engine to reach a circular geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above the planet where it can match Earth's rotation and appear fixed along the equator at 105 degrees West longitude.

Built by Lockheed Martin, the SES AMERICOM spacecraft will be used to relay direct-to-home entertainment programming for the EchoStar DISH Network across the U.S.

"AMC 15 is pivotal to our strategic and expanding relationship with EchoStar, as well as to the development of broadband solutions for both the residential and enterprise markets," said Dean Olmstead, president and CEO of SES AMERICOM.

"We worked closely with EchoStar on the technical design of the spacecraft to ensure complete compatibility with their existing and future services. AMERICOM is ready to operate its first Ka-band payload, and we believe EchoStar will fully utilize the satellite's spectrum to expand their offerings to their subscribers."

The Proton deployment mission is managed by International Launch Services -- the joint venture formed in 1995 between Lockheed Martin, Khrunichev and Energia to market Atlas and Proton rockets worldwide. This will be the 31st Proton launch for ILS and the fourth in 2004.