BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the countdown and launch of the Proton rocket launching PanAmSat's PAS-10 communications satellite. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2001

A telecommunications spacecraft that will orbit above the Indian Ocean to serve an area where 80 percent of the planet's population resides and replace an ailing sister-satellite was successfully delivered into space today by a Russian Proton rocket. Read our full launch story.

0748 GMT (3:48 a.m. EDT)

SPACECRAFT SEPARATION. The PAS-10 telecommunications satellite has been placed into orbit successfully today by a Russian Proton rocket. The craft was delivered into geosynchronous transfer orbit following a six-and-a-half-hour flight by the three-stage Proton vehicle and its Block DM upper stage.

Check back for a complete launch wrap-up story shortly.

0123:30 GMT (9:23:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 12 minutes. With the Block DM upper stage now in a quiet coast period around Earth, we are going to pause our live updates.

Today's launch is still far from over. The highlights of events yet to come will be a pair of firings by the Block DM. The first is scheduled for T+plus 74 minutes, 19 seconds to raise the altitude from the current 200-km circular parking orbit to an egg-shaped loop reaching about 35,000 km high at one end. The rocket will coast up to that high point before the second burn at T+plus 6 hours, 18 minutes that will raise the orbit's low end and reduce inclination from the equator.

Separation of PAS-10 to complete this launch is expected around T+plus 6 hours, 41 minutes with the satellite being deployed into orbit of 7,150 km on the low end and 36,000 km on the high end with an inclination of 17.05 degrees to the equator.

Check back for confirmation of spacecraft separation.

0122:30 GMT (9:22:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 11 minutes. Launch officals report the Block DM upper stage with PAS-10 has successfully arrived in the planned low-altitude parking orbit around Earth inclined 51.6 degrees. And the aerodynamic shroud on the upper stage has been jettisoned.

0121:30 GMT (9:21:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 10 minutes. Confirmation of third stage engine shutdown and the spent stage has separated. The Block DM upper stage and attached PAS-10 spacecraft are now flying on their own.

0121:00 GMT (9:21:00 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 9 minutes, 30 seconds. Altitude 227 km, downrange 1900 km.

0120:00 GMT (9:20:00 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 8 minutes, 30 seconds. One minute left in the third stage burn.

0119:30 GMT (9:19:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 8 minutes. Combustion chamber pressure for the third stage single RD-0210 engine reported normal. Proton continues its trek to orbit without problems.

0119:00 GMT (9:19:00 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 7 minutes, 30 seconds. Altitude 203 km, downrange distance 1,125 km.

0118:00 GMT (9:18:00 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 6 minutes, 30 seconds. The payload fairing enclosing the PAS-10 spacecraft atop the rocket has been jettisoned.

0117:30 GMT (9:17:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 6 minutes. The second stage has shut down and separated. Third stage engine ignition confirmed.

0116:30 GMT (9:16:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 5 minutes. Second stage engines continue to fire normally. And downrange tracking stations have acquired the rocket's signal. Altitude 128 km, downrange distance 473 km.

0115:30 GMT (9:15:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 4 minutes. Flight of the Proton rocket is still reported nominal with proper pitch, yaw and roll control of the vehicle. Altitude 100 km, downrange distance 266 km.

0114:30 GMT (9:14:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 3 minutes. Altitude 68 km, downrange distance 113 km.

0113:55 GMT (9:13:55 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 2 minutes, 25 seconds. The four RD-0210 second stage engines have ignited and the spent first stage has dropped away. Good staging confirmed.

0113:30 GMT (9:13:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 2 minutes. Altitude 28 km, downrange distance 24 km. Flight control system parameters are reported nominal. Engine performance is as expected.

0112:30 GMT (9:12:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 60 seconds. Altitude approaching 7 km. All systems reported to be operating normally.

0112:00 GMT (9:12:00 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T+plus 30 seconds. The Proton rocket has made its roll maneuver to achieve the proper launch heading. All six RD-253 first stage liquid-fueled engines are firing.

0111:30 GMT (9:11:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the 20th ILS Proton rocket and PanAmSat's PAS-10 telecommunications spacecraft to serve Europe, Asia and Africa.

0110:30 GMT (9:10:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 1 minute. Now 60 seconds away from launch of the Proton rocket and PAS-10 satellite.

The engine start command will be issued by the launch sequencer at T-minus 2.5 seconds. The six first stage engines will be ignited at T-minus 1.6 seconds and commanded to 40 percent thrust. The thrust level is then increased to 100 percent at T-0 seconds. The liftoff confirmation is expected at T+0.57 seconds.

This engine start sequence allows for verification that all six powerplants are running normally before committing the Proton to launch.

0109:30 GMT (9:09:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 2 minutes and counting. The Block DM upper stage readiness for flight now being verified. The rocket's first three stages and PAS-10 spacecraft remain "go" for launch. No problems have been reported during the final countdown to liftoff.

0107:30 GMT (9:07:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 4 minutes and counting. The enable key of the launch sequencer is being turned to the "on" position as the countdown continues to liftoff at 0111:30.

0106:30 GMT (9:06:30 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 5 minutes and counting. The Proton rocket's first three stages -- which comprise the "core vehicle" -- are being checked for final confirmation they are ready for launch.

0104 GMT (9:04 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 7 minutes and counting. The Proton rocket weighs about 1.5 million pounds as it sits on the launch pad. The PAS-10 spacecraft accounts for about 8,333 pounds of the weight. At launch the Proton's six first stage engines will fire together to propel the massive rocket into the dawn skies at Baikonur.

0101 GMT (9:01 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 10 minutes and counting. Now inside the final 10 minutes to liftoff of the International Launch Services Proton rocket. This will be ILS' 20th Proton mission dating back to 1996. All but one of the previous launches have been successful. It also marks the second Proton of 2001 following a Russian government mission in April. Overall this will be 286th Russian Proton rocket extending back to 1965.

0051 GMT (8:51 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 20 minutes and counting. Activities are still on course for an on-time launch of the Proton rocket and PAS-10 communications satellite at 0111:30 GMT.

The Proton rocket's first three stages that make up the core vehicle will complete their mission during the first 9 minutes, 49 seconds of the launch.

The Proton third stage will deploy the Block DM upper stage and attached PAS-10 spacecraft into a 200-km circular parking orbit. The Block DM will conduct the first of two firings at T+plus 74 minutes to begin the journey into the desired orbit for PAS-10. The burn will last about six minutes.

A second burn is planned at T+plus 6 hours, 18 minutes to completed the powered phase of today's launch. The second Block DM firing is expected to last just under two minutes.

Separation of PAS-10 from the Block DM will occur about six hours, 40 minutes after liftoff.

0041 GMT (8:41 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 30 minutes and counting. Now just a half-hour away from launch. The four stages that make up the rocket have been fully fueled for today's mission. Loading of propellants began about six hours ago. Following tanking, the pad's mobile service structure was retracted prior to T-minus 1 hour. The countdown is currently under computer sequencer control, which will continue through liftoff. Also recently performed were the final updates to the rocket's guidance computer.

0036 GMT (8:36 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 35 minutes. The weather is acceptable for liftoff at Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is located on the remote steppes of Central Asia. Current conditions include a broken low-level deck of clouds, a temperature of 77 degrees F and southeasterly winds of 7 meters per second.

0031 GMT (8:31 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 40 minutes and counting. Officials are targeting a liftoff time of 0111:30 GMT. That equates to 7:11:30 a.m. Baikonur time and 9:11:30 p.m. U.S. EDT. The available launch window extends for 10 minutes.

0021 GMT (8:21 p.m. EDT Mon.)

T-minus 50 minutes. The countdown has entered the final hour for the first commercial Proton rocket launch of 2001. The three-stage Proton core vehicle and Block DM upper stage are fueled in preparation for liftoff carrying the PAS-10 communications satellite at 0111 GMT from Complex 81's pad 23 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazkhstan. Baikonur, built in 1955, is the oldest launch site in the world.

MONDAY, MAY 14, 2001

The 20th Proton rocket to be flown under the joint Russian-American International Launch Services banner is poised for blastoff carrying a PanAmSat telecommunications satellite destined to serve three continents in a 30-million square mile footprint.

Liftoff from pad 23 at Baikonur Cosmodrome's complex 81 is scheduled for 0111 GMT Tuesday (9:11 p.m. EDT tonight).

A standard six-and-a-half hour flight is planned from the time of liftoff until the PAS-10 satellite cargo is deployed into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The three-stage Proton rocket will burn for around the first ten minutes of the flight, followed by two separated burns of the Block DM upper stage.

Once in space, PAS-10 will be maneuver itself from the highly elliptical transfer orbit achieved during launch to a circular parking slot in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles high above the equator at 68.5 degrees East longitude. While replacing PanAmSat's PAS-4 spacecraft as the company's Indian Ocean Region satellite, PAS-10 will deliver television programming, data transmission and Internet services across Europe, Africa and Asia.

Built by Boeing Satellite Systems, PAS-10 is a 601-High Power model satellite. It features 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders. At launch the spacecraft will weigh 8,314 pounds (3,772 kilograms). Once its solar wings and antennas are deployed in orbit, PAS-10 will measure 86 feet in length and 23 feet in width.

"PAS-10, which will deliver broadcast, high-speed data and Internet services across Europe, Africa and Asia, demonstrates our strong commitment to our long-term and valued customers," said Robert Bednarek, PanAmSat's executive vice president and chief technology officer. "When PAS-10 goes into operation it also will enable PanAmSat to target new growth opportunities emerging in the Indian subcontinent as well as Central and Western Asia."

Some of the users of PAS-10 will include the BBC, CNN, CCTV, Discovery, Doordarshan, ESPN, MTV, NHK, Nickelodeon, Sony and TNT.

This Proton mission will be the first for ILS in 2001. It will also mark the 20th ILS Proton flight in the history of International Launch Services, a joint Russian-American venture formed in 1995 between Lockheed Martin, Krunichev and RSC Energia. ILS globally markets the Proton and American Atlas rockets.

Spaceflight Now will provide continuous live status reports during today's final countdown and launch on this page.