BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the countdown and launch of the Russian Proton rocket carrying the Intelsat 10-02 telecommunications satellite. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

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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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2004

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. Read our full story.

0812 GMT (4:12 a.m. EDT)

SUCCESS. The Breeze M upper stage has successfully deployed the Intelsat 10-02 communications satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit this morning following the 9-hour flight that featured a total of five firings. We will post a launch wrap-up story shortly.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2004
2250 GMT (6:50 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 23 minutes. The Breeze M upper stage and Intelsat 10-02 are now in a coast period that will last until T+plus 68 minutes when the stage re-ignites for a 16-minute firing to reach an intermediate orbit of 258 x 5,000 km at 50.3 degrees inclination.

A third burn will begin at T+plus 3 hours, 29 minutes and last for 10 minutes. Following completion of its third burn of the mission, the Breeze M will jettison its emptied Additional Propellant Tank. The stage then restarts at T+plus 3 hour, 40 minutes for a seven-minute burn to achieve an orbit of 395 x 35,820 km at 49.1 degrees.

A fifth and final burn, lasting nearly seven minutes, will begin at T+plus 8 hours, 53 minutes.

The Intelsat 10-02 spacecraft will be deployed into a targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit of 4,090 x 35,786 km at 23.6 degrees. Separation of the satellite from the upper stage to complete the launch is expected at T+plus 9 hours, 10 minutes.

We'll update this page when the next information is released from International Launch Services, which is not expected until 0800 GMT (4:00 a.m. EDT) with confirmation of spacecraft separation.

2249 GMT (6:49 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 22 minutes, 27 seconds. The Breeze M upper stage has completed its first of five planned firings of today's launch, ILS says.

2247 GMT (6:47 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 20 minutes. ILS is now awaiting confirmation that the first burn of the Breeze M has been conducted successfully to reach the parking orbit around Earth.

2244 GMT (6:44 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 17 minutes, 15 seconds. The Breeze M upper stage is firing as planned to achieve a low-altitude parking orbit around Earth. This burn should last until about T+plus 18 minutes, 52 seconds.

2240 GMT (6:40 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 13 minutes, 30 seconds. Still awaiting confirmation from ILS that the burn has begun.

2237 GMT (6:37 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 10 minutes, 45 seconds. Standing by for ignition of the Breeze M in about a half-minute.

2237 GMT (6:37 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 10 minutes, 10 seconds. The Proton's third stage engine has been shut down, followed by jettison of the spent stage. The Breeze M upper stage and attached Intelsat 10-02 spacecraft are now on a suborbital trajectory in preparation for the first of five planned firings by the upper stage to reach geosynchronous transfer orbit over the next several hours.

2235 GMT (6:35 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 8 minutes, 30 seconds. Third stage engine is firing normally. The Proton is 140 km in altitude and 1,543 km downrange from the launch pad.

2232 GMT (6:32 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 5 minutes, 58 seconds. The payload fairing enclosing the Intelsat 10-02 spacecraft atop the rocket has separated. The third stage continues to fire.

2232 GMT (6:32 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 5 minutes, 43 seconds. Second stage separation has occurred and ignition of the Proton third stage has been confirmed.

2232 GMT (6:32 p.m. EDT)

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

2231 GMT (6:31 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 4 minutes, 45 seconds. Second stage engine combustion chamber pressures reported normal.

2231 GMT (6:31 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 4 minutes, 30 seconds. The vehicle is now 99 km in altitude.

2230 GMT (6:30 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. The second stage continues to burn normally. Launch officials report that the vehicle stable and on course.

2230 GMT (6:30 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes. The Proton is passing an altitude of 73.8 km.

2229 GMT (6:29 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.

2228 GMT (6:28 p.m. EDT)

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

2228 GMT (6:28 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 85 seconds. The rocket is now 12.7 km in altitude.

2228 GMT (6:28 p.m. EDT)

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

2227 GMT (6:27 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 30 seconds. The Proton rocket is positioning itself on the correct trajectory as all six first stage liquid-fueled engines propel the vehicle into Baikonur's predawn sky.

2227 GMT (6:27 p.m. EDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Intelsat 10-02 communications satellite aboard a Russian Proton rocket!

2226 GMT (6:26 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 60 seconds. All systems remain "go" for liftoff.

2224 GMT (6:24 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 3 minutes.

2222 GMT (6:22 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 5 minutes. The launch readiness of the Proton core vehicle, Breeze M upper stage and Intelsat 10-02 spacecraft will be verified over the next few minutes in the countdown.

2219 GMT (6:19 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 8 minutes and counting. The Proton rocket weighs about 1.5 million pounds as it sits on the launch pad. The Intelsat 10-02 spacecraft accounts for about 12,300 pounds of the weight. The Proton's six first stage engines will be ignited at launch to boost the 200-foot tall rocket off the ground.

2217 GMT (6:17 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 10 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 28 Proton flights coming into today.

So far in 2004, ILS has carried out five launches including four Atlas missions and one Proton.

2215 GMT (6:15 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 12 minutes and counting. Weather conditions are within limits for today's Proton launch. The latest report at Baikonur indicates a temperature of 23 degrees C and winds are calm.

2212 GMT (6:12 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 15 minutes and counting. The Russian Proton rocket is just about ready for liftoff carrying the Intelsat 10-02 communications satellite. Officials report that the three-stage Proton core vehicle and Breeze M upper stage are fully fueled, a process that began about six hours before launch time. The launch pad's mobile service tower was then rolled away from the rocket about an hour ago.

Today's launch time is 2227 GMT (6:27 p.m. EDT) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is currently 4:12 a.m. local time at the launch site as the countdown continues for the predawn liftoff.

1820 GMT (2:20 p.m. EDT)

The countdown is progressing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Central Asia for today's launch of the commercial Proton rocket launch to deliver the Intelsat 10-02 communications satellite in space. Liftoff remains scheduled for 2227 GMT (6:27 p.m. EDT).

Watch this page for updates during launch.

TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2004
1655 GMT (12:55 p.m. EDT)

DELAY. Launch of the Intelsat 10-02 spacecraft atop a Russian Proton rocket has been postponed by 24 hours. The delay was ordered after charging of the satellite's batteries took longer than expected.

Wednesday's launch time is 2227 GMT (6:27 p.m. EDT).

0401 GMT (12:01 a.m. EDT)

One of the largest commercial communications satellites ever built will ride a Russian-made Proton rocket into an orbit high above Earth today.

Liftoff of the modernized Proton M booster fitted with a Breeze M upper stage carrying the Intelsat 10-02 satellite cargo is scheduled for 2227 GMT (6:27 p.m. EDT) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The launch will take over 9 hours to complete -- from blastoff through deployment of the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit.

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 Intelsat 10-02 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 107.5 miles, inclined 51.5 degrees.

Four additional burns by the upper stage will follow in a pre-scripted sequence to reach geosynchronous transfer orbit for release of Intelsat 10-02 at T+plus 9 hours, 10 minutes, 20 seconds.

The targeted spacecraft separation orbit has an apogee of 22,236 miles, perigee of 2,541 miles and inclination of 23.6 degrees.

Intelsat 10-02 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 1-degree West longitude.

Built by EADS Astrium of France, the 12,300-pound spacecraft uses 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

Global satellite operator Intelsat will use the new craft, once it is tested in space and pressed into service, to provide television, Internet services and a host of other telecommunications services across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South America and parts of Asia and North America.

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 29th Proton launch for ILS and the second in 2004.