BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the preparations and launch of the Russian Proton rocket carrying the Nimiq 2 broadcasting satellite. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

Video coverage for subscribers only:
   VIDEO: NIMIQ 2 LIFTS OFF ABOARD PROTON ROCKET QT or RV
   VIDEO: PROTON M ROCKET ROLLED TO THE PAD QT or RV
   VIDEO: ANIMATED PREVIEW OF PROTON M/BREEZE M LAUNCH QT or RV
   VIDEO: OVERVIEW OF THE NIMIQ 2 SATELLITE QT or RV
   SUBSCRIBE NOW

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2002

A spacecraft to broadcast TV and communications services across Canada was successfully sent into orbit Sunday night aboard the first commercial flight of Russia's modernized Proton M rocket and Breeze M upper stage motor. Read our full launch story.

0658 GMT (1:58 a.m. EST)

Controllers have made contact with Nimiq 2 and all is well, officials report.

0628 GMT (1:28 a.m. EST)

SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The Nimiq 2 spacecraft has been released from the Breeze M upper stage. Ground controllers will be establishing contact with the Lockheed Martin-built satellite to verify its health following launch. ILS will declare success after that point. We'll post a complete story when officials make the announcement.

0110 GMT (8:10 p.m. EST)

International Launch Services, the firm managing this commercial rocket mission, confirms the second and third burns of the Breeze M have been performed. The stage and Nimiq 2 spacecraft have begun a long, quiet coast to reach the proper position for the final Breeze M firing needed to achieve the geosynchronous transfer orbit.

We'll post confirmation of the fourth burn and deployment of Nimiq 2 around 0630 GMT.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2002
2342 GMT (6:42 p.m. EST)

The Breeze M upper stage and Nimiq 2 are now in a coast period that will last until T+59 minutes, 45 seconds. That is when the stage re-ignites for a 27-minute firing. Following completion of its second burn of the mission, the Breeze M will jettison its emptied Additional Propellant Tank. The stage then restarts at T+1 hour, 28 minutes for a five-minute burn to finish the job of raising the apogee of the orbit to geostationary altitude of nearly 22,300 miles.

A final burn is planned at T+plus 6 hours, 35 minutes to reduce inclination and raise the perigee. Spacecraft separation to complete the launch is targeted to occur at T+plus 6 hours, 53 minutes.

We'll update this page around 0100 GMT following the planned third burn of Breeze M.

2339 GMT (6:39 p.m. EST)

T+plus 22 minutes. International Launch Services says that the first burn of Breeze M has been completed.

2337 GMT (6:37 p.m. EST)

T+plus 20 minutes. The Breeze M is nearing completion of its first firing.

2330 GMT (6:30 p.m. EST)

T+plus 13 minutes. The Khrunichev-built Breeze M upper stage -- making its first commercial launch today -- continues to fire to achieve a low-altitude parking orbit around Earth. This burn should last until about T+plus 22 minutes.

2329 GMT (6:29 p.m. EST)

T+plus 12 minutes. Confirmation of Breeze M ignition has now been received.

2328 GMT (6:28 p.m. EST)

T+plus 11 minutes. Still awaiting confirmation of staging and ignition of the Breeze M by International Launch Services.

2326 GMT (6:26 p.m. EST)

T+plus 9 minutes. Ascent to orbit by the Proton goes on. The third stage should complete its burn in less than a minute, followed by separation of the spent motor. The Breeze M and attached Nimiq 2 spacecraft will then be on a suborbital trajectory in preparation for the first of four planned firings by the upper stage to reach geosynchronous transfer orbit over the next several hours.

2324 GMT (6:24 p.m. EST)

T+plus 7 minutes. Third stage continues to fire.

2323 GMT (6:23 p.m. EST)

T+plus 6 minutes. Second stage separation has occurred and ignition of the Proton third stage has been confirmed. Also, the payload fairing enclosing the Nimiq 2 spacecraft atop the rocket has separated.

2322 GMT (6:22 p.m. EST)

T+plus 5 minutes. Coming up on burn out and separation of the second stage. All systems still being reported "go". Altitude 116.7 km, downrange distance from the launch pad 492 km.

2321 GMT (6:21 p.m. EST)

T+plus 4 minutes. Altitude 100 km, downrange distance from the launch pad 304 km.

2320 GMT (6:20 p.m. EST)

T+plus 3 minutes. The four second stage engines are up and burning as planned. Altitude 84 km.

2319 GMT (6:19 p.m. EST)

T+plus 2 minutes, 30 seconds. The first stage engines have shut down and the spent stage has separated.

2318 GMT (6:18 p.m. EST)

T+plus 90 seconds. Just over a half-minute remaining in the first stage burn. No problems reported on the vehicle. Ground tracking is normal.

2318 GMT (6:18 p.m. EST)

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

2317 GMT (6:17 p.m. EST)

T+plus 30 seconds. The Proton rocket is performing its roll maneuver to achieve the proper launch heading for flight downrange. All six first stage liquid-fueled engines are up and burning.

2317 GMT (6:17 p.m. EST)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the first commercial Proton M/Breeze M rocket and the Canadian Nimiq 2 broadcasting spacecraft!

2316 GMT (6:16 p.m. EST)

T-minus 60 seconds. The Proton core vehicle, Breeze M upper stage and Nimiq 2 spacecraft have all reported their final readiness for launch.

2312 GMT (6:12 p.m. EST)

T-minus 5 minutes and counting. The Proton rocket weighs about 1.5 million pounds as it sits on the launch pad. The Nimiq 2 spacecraft accounts for 7,937 pounds of the weight.

At launch the Proton's six first stage engines will fire together to propel the massive, 200-foot tall rocket into the predawn sky at Baikonur. It is currently 4:12 a.m. local time at the launch site.

2310 GMT (6:10 p.m. EST)

Now inside the final seven minutes to liftoff. Countdown continues on schedule with no reports of any significant troubles.

2305 GMT (6:05 p.m. EST)

Weather conditions are within limits for launch a Proton -- although it is very cold. The latest report at Baikonur indicates a temperature of -15 degrees C and a northwest wind at 3 meters per second.

2304 GMT (6:04 p.m. EST)

The three-stage Proton core vehicle and Breeze M upper stage are fully fueled, a process that began about six hours before launch time. And in the past 45 minutes, the launch pad's mobile service tower was rolled away from the rocket.

2300 GMT (6:00 p.m. EST)

T-minus 17 minutes and counting. Activities remain on track for an on-time launch of Nimiq 2.

2227 GMT (5:27 p.m. EST)

The final countdown is underway at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan for liftoff of the Proton M rocket in about 50 minutes. The Russian launcher is set to place the Nimiq 2 communications satellite into space for builder Lockheed Martin and end user Telesat Canada. Live updates from the launch site are expected to begin at 2300 GMT.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2002

The first commercial voyage of a modernized Russian Proton rocket and its Breeze M upper stage is set to begin at 2317 GMT (6:17 p.m. EST) Sunday to truck the Canadian Nimiq 2 direct broadcasting satellite into Earth orbit.

The 200-foot tall Proton M vehicle will launch from pad 24 at Baikonur Cosmodrome's Complex 81 in Kazakhstan.

It will be the ninth and final Proton mission of 2002 and the fifth under the auspices of International Launch Services -- the joint U.S./Russian firm set up to market American Atlas and the Proton rockets.

After a successful debut in April 2001 on a Russian government flight, the Khrunichev-built Proton M/Breeze M is ready to make its introduction in the commercial launch arena.

Upgrades to the Proton core vehicle and the new Breeze M have resulted in a rocket that is more powerful and able to lift heavier cargos than the previous Proton K and Energia-made Block DM upper stage.

The modifications made to the Proton include advanced avionics systems and a new nose cone with twice the available volume for payloads. In addition, the first stage engines have become more efficient and leave less residual propellant in the spent stage that impacts on land in the Kazakh Republic.

The Breeze M stage was designed to be relatively compact in size to free up more space in the rocket's nose cone for the payload. It also features an extra fuel tank to be jettisoned in flight. The main engine of the Breeze M and the stage's attitude control thrusters all burn storable nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine fuel. The stage has flown twice before on government launches -- once on a Proton K and last April's Proton M mission.

For commercial communications satellite missions to geosynchronous transfer orbit, ILS advertises the Proton K/Block DM as capable of carrying 9,590 pounds. The Proton M/Breeze M has increased the available cargo-lifting weight to 12,120 pounds.

Sunday's mission from liftoff until deployment of Nimiq 2 will last six hours and 53 minutes. The three stages of the Proton core vehicle will release the Breeze M and attached Nimiq 2 on a suborbital trajectory just under 10 minutes after liftoff. The upper stage then ignites for a ten-and-a-half minute firing to achieve a 132-mile high circular parking orbit inclined at 51.6 degrees.

Three more burns of the Breeze M will follow over the next few hours to reach the Nimiq 2 separation orbit of 22,236 miles at apogee and 4,785 miles at perigee with an inclination of 16.8 degrees.

Nimiq 2 will later maneuver itself into geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above the equator at 91 degrees West longitude to be operated by Telesat Canada for direct-to-home broadcasting services. Built by Lockheed Martin, the craft carries 32 Ku-band transponders and a Ka-band payload.

Watch this page for updates during the final countdown and launch.