Global communications satellite operator Intelsat, which will mark its 40th anniversary later this year, used a Russian Proton M rocket to launch its largest and most powerful spacecraft Wednesday night from the historic Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The Proton rocket lifts off with Intelsat 10-02. Photo: ILS

The Intelsat 10-02 satellite lifted off from the steppes of Kazakhstan at 2227 GMT (6:27 p.m. EDT) for a 9-hour trip to geosynchronous transfer orbit in a mission managed by the commercial firm International Launch Services. ILS markets Protons and American Atlas rockets.

The Proton's lower three stages released the satellite and attached Breeze M upper stage motor on a suborbital trajectory 9 minutes into flight. The Breeze M then fired for 7 minutes to achieve a low-altitude parking orbit around Earth.

Over the next several hours, the Breeze motor conducted four additional engine burns to slowly nudge the 12,300-pound Intelsat spacecraft into an egg-shaped orbit stretching from 22,267 miles at its highest point to 2,543 miles at its lowest.

Deployment of the satellite from the launcher occurred about 9-hours and 10-minutes after liftoff, completing the second ILS Proton mission this year and 29th since the commercial program's inception in the mid-1990s.

"This was another outstanding mission for Proton," said ILS President Mark Albrecht.

The satellite will propel itself into a circular orbit 22,300 miles above the equator, reaching a parking spot at 1-degree West longitude where it will match Earth's rotation and appear fixed in the sky.

Following on-orbit testing, Intelsat 10-02 is scheduled to enter service in August. It will relay television programming, offer Internet connectivity and provide a host of other telecommunications services across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. What's more, satellite can reach as far west as the Americas and as far east as India.

"This successful launch, celebrated during the year of Intelsat's 40th anniversary, reinforces our historic commitment to delivering the highest quality communications and technology to our customers throughout the world," said Conny Kullman, CEO of Intelsat Ltd. "We are grateful to ILS for its efficiency and hard work, which has resulted in our being able to welcome another high-powered satellite to our global fleet."

An artist's concept of Intelsat 10-02. Credit: EADS Astrium

With its increased power, greater capacity and wider coverage area, the next-generation Intelsat 10-02 satellite will replace the older Intelsat 707 craft currently occupying the 1-degree West orbital position. The 707 satellite shall be re-located for continued use.

Intelsat 10-02 was built by Europe's EADS Astrium using the Eurostar E3000 design with a 13-year life expectancy. The communications package includes 45 active C-band transponders and 16 active Ku-band transponders.

"The Intelsat 10-02 satellite is not only the largest Eurostar E3000 model spacecraft ever built by EADS Astrium, it also is the largest commercial satellite carried by a Proton vehicle," Albrecht said.

The communications payload and structure were made in the U.K., the solar arrays, antennas and repeater equipment came from Germany, Italy and Canada, and some electronic equipment was produced in Spain. France made the avionics, plus conducted the final satellite assembly and testing.

For ILS, this was the firm's 6th launch in 2004 and the 8th since December -- six Atlas flights and two Protons. The next Atlas is scheduled for June 30 from Cape Canaveral with a classified U.S. national security payload; the next Proton will launch the Amazonas communications satellite on July 25.

"We have achieved an incredible launch tempo over the last eight months, with eight consecutive successful campaigns thus far and two more in progress," Albrecht said. "We expect to continue at this pace the rest of the year."

Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: PROTON ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH INTELSAT 10-02 QT
VIDEO: THE PROTON ROCKET IS ROLLED TO THE LAUNCH PAD QT
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