LAUNCH SUCCESS! The Breeze M upper stage has accomplished its job, carrying SES 5 into geosynchronous transfer orbit and deploying the satellite tonight.

The technologically advanced spacecraft will perform multiple missions when it joins the 50-satellite fleet operated by the SES firm of Luxembourg.

"SES 5 is an important addition to our fleet serving both our commercial and government customer with our first L-band payload for EGNOS to augment the GPS system for Europe. This is a great accomplishment by all of the teams who worked on the SES-5 mission -- SES, ILS, Khrunichev, and Space Systems/Loral -- and we thank them for their dedicated work on the successful launch," said SES President and CEO, Romain Bausch.

Built by Space Systems/Loral with a launch weight of 13,245 pounds, the multi-band broadcasting craft is outfitted with 24 C-band transponders to beam video, maritime communications and GSM phone services across Africa, the Middle East and Europe. It also carries 36 active Ku-band transponders and two high-powered beams to provide direct-to-home TV to the Nordic and Baltic countries and capacity to Sub-Saharan Africa. The satellite also provides Ka-band uplink capability, allowing for flexible operations between Europe and Africa.

What's more, the satellite hosts an L-band package for the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service. The EGNOS payload, which was developed by the European Space Agency and the European Commission, will help verify, improve, and report on the reliability and accuracy of navigation positioning signals in Europe.

"We would like to thank SES for giving us the opportunity to build this complex spacecraft that combines multiple frequency bands and coverage areas to help SES bring entertainment and vital communications services to improve the human experience in several important regions," said John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral.

Monday represented the 74th commercial Proton mission under the guidance of International Launch Services and the fifth this year.

"We have been entrusted to perform many missions with our partner, SES over the past 16 years, including many industry firsts. We launched the first commercial Proton with the Astra 1F satellite back in 1996. As well, SES participated in the first commercial shared launch in July of last year with the launch of SES 3 satellite. We partnered on the unique Multi-Launch Agreement, signed just 5 years ago, to ensure SES' access to space. Now, with the successful ILS Proton launch of SES 5, we have enabled the L-band payload for the EGNOS system in Europe. We look forward to many more innovative missions with SES and thank the ILS, Khrunichev, SES and Space Systems/Loral teams for a successful mission and ILS Proton launch of SES 5," said ILS President Frank McKenna said.

The next Proton rocket launch is slated for later this month with the Indonesian Telkom 3 and Russian Express MD2 communications satellites. Next up for ILS is the Intelsat 23 launch in August.

The final six-minute push has been delivered by the Breeze M main engine while flying high over the Indian Ocean. Deployment of the SES 5 satellite will occur in a few minutes later to complete this long launch sequence.

The upper stage and attached SES 5 satellite are currently in the midst of a five-hour coast period prior to the fifth and final firing by the Breeze M later tonight.

International Launch Services reports that the third and four burns took place as planned. The maneuvers included an 11.5-minute firing, then a pause to jettison the now-emptied extra fuel tank, followed by a six-minute engine firing as the rocket flew over South America and the Atlantic Ocean.

Breeze M now resides in a highly inclined, highly elliptical orbit, with a targeted low point of 270 miles, a high point of 22,249 miles and inclination of 49.1 degrees relative to the equator.

One final burn remains later tonight to raise the orbit's low point to 2,591 miles and substantially reduce the inclination to 23.1 degrees.

Spacecraft separation to complete the launch is expected at 0350 GMT (11:50 p.m. EDT).

The second burn has been conducted by the Breeze M upper stage, boosting the rocket and its SES 5 payload from the initial low-altitude circular parking orbit of about 107 miles at 51.5 degrees inclination.

This latest firing, lasting almost 18 minutes over the Atlantic Ocean and Africa as the vehicle was nearing completion of the first orbit, was designed to raise the altitude.

The new intermediate orbit is elliptical in nature, with a targeted low point of 168 miles, a high point of 3,107 miles and inclination of 50.3 degrees relative to the equator.

Breeze M now coasts until around 2206 GMT (6:06 p.m. EDT) when the next two burns occur back-to-back with only a brief pause in between to shed the donut-like auxiliary propellant tank.

The Breeze M upper stage and SES 5 are now in a coast period that will last until T+67 minutes, 33 seconds. That is when the stage re-ignites for a 17-minute, 45-second burn.

A third firing will begin at T+plus 3 hours, 28 minutes and last for 11.5 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+3 hour, 42 minutes for a six-minute firing.

A final ten-minute burn will occur at T+plus 8 hours, 53 minutes to finish shaping the orbit.

Spacecraft separation to complete the launch is targeted to occur at T+plus 9 hours, 12 minutes, or 0350 GMT (11:50 p.m. EDT).

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International Launch Services reports that the first burn of Breeze M was successfully completed to put the vehicle into a preliminary parking orbit. Today's mission is going according to plan.

The Breeze M upper stage has ignited to achieve a low-altitude parking orbit around Earth. This burn should last about four-and-a-half minutes in total duration.

Telemetry confirms that the third stage finished firing and jettisoned, finishing the Proton M rocket's role in the ascent. The Breeze M upper stage now must perform its five burns.

T+plus 9 minutes. The third stage should complete its burn in about a minute, followed by separation of the spent motor. The Breeze M and attached SES 5 spacecraft will then be 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.

T+plus 8 minutes. Second stage separation has occurred and ignition of the Proton third stage has been confirmed. Also, the payload fairing enclosing the SES 5 spacecraft atop the rocket has separated.

T+plus 3 minutes. The Proton continues streaking to space on the power of the second stage. Vehicle performance is reported normal.

T+plus 2 minutes, 10 seconds. The six main engines on the first stage have extinguished and the spent stage just separated. Now, the four second stage engines are up and burning as planned.

T+plus 90 seconds. Just over a half-minute remaining in the first stage burn. Everything is looking good with the flight.

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

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.

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of Proton and the SES 5 spacecraft, a multi-purpose communications satellite for Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

T-minus 60 seconds. All systems remain "go" for liftoff at the precise and instantaneous launch time a minute from now.

T-minus 2 minutes. The countdown is being run by a master computer sequencer.

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

T-minus 10 minutes and counting. The Proton rocket weighs 1,554,000 pounds as it sits on the launch pad. The SES 5 spacecraft accounts for about 13,245 pounds of the weight.

T-minus 12 minutes and counting. At launch the Proton's six first stage engines will fire together to propel the 191-foot-tall rocket into the middle-of-the-night sky at Baikonur. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:38 a.m. local time at Baikonur.

Weather conditions are within limits for today's Proton launch. The latest report at Baikonur indicates mostly clear skies, good visibility, a temperature around 80 degrees F and northerly winds of 11 to 16 mph.

Retraction of the launch pad's mobile service tower from the Proton rocket occurred a little while ago as preparations continue for today's ascent of the SES 5 communications satellite.

The three-stage Proton core vehicle and Breeze M upper stage are fully fueled, a process that began about six hours before launch time. Liftoff remains scheduled for 1838 GMT (2:38 p.m. EDT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The six engines on the Proton first stage will ignite at launch to push the 19-story rocket away from Earth on two million pounds of thrust. After first stage separation two minutes into flight, four engines aboard the second stage fire for three-and-a-half minutes before shutting down and jettisoning. The Proton's third stage then comes to life for its four-minute job, during which time the protective payload fairing shielding SES 5 will separate.

The Breeze M upper stage then assumes control of the mission to conduct a series of five critical burns spread across nine hours to propel the payload into the proper orbit by tonight.

Here's a look at some stats about today's mission. This will be:

• 378th Proton rocket launch since 1965
• 74th International Launch Services Proton
• 57th Proton M using a Breeze M upper stage since 2001
• Fifth Proton of 2012
• 23rd Space Systems/Loral satellite on ILS Proton
• 21st SES satellite launch on ILS Proton

An international communications satellite to blanket a large swath of the planet will be hauled into orbit today by Russia's commercial Proton heavy-lifting rocket.

Launch of the Proton M booster fitted with a Breeze M upper stage carrying the SES54 satellite cargo is scheduled for the exact moment of 1838:30 GMT (2:38:30 p.m. EDT) from pad 24 at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Watch this page for live updates and streaming video coverage beginning at 1815 GMT (2:15 p.m. EDT).

The payload will become a new, multi-band broadcasting craft in the 50-satellite fleet operated by the SES firm of Luxembourg.

"We would like to thank SES for giving us the opportunity to build this complex spacecraft that combines multiple frequency bands and coverage areas to help SES bring entertainment and vital communications services to improve the human experience in several important regions," said John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral.

Built by Space Systems/Loral with a launch weight of 13,245 pounds, the SES 5 is outfitted with 24 C-band transponders to beam video, maritime communications and GSM phone services across Africa, the Middle East and Europe. It also carries 36 active Ku-band transponders and two high-powered beams to provide direct-to-home TV to the Nordic and Baltic countries and capacity to Sub-Saharan Africa. The satellite also provides Ka-band uplink capability, allowing for flexible operations between Europe and Africa.

What's more, the satellite hosts an L-band package for the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service. The EGNOS payload, which was developed by the European Space Agency and the European Commission, will help verify, improve, and report on the reliability and accuracy of navigation positioning signals in Europe.

The climb to orbit will be another of the Proton/Breeze M vehicle's marathons. The lower three stages of the Khrunichev-built Proton will fire during the mission's first 10 minutes. Five burns of the Breeze M upper stage will follow over the next nine hours to reach the targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit for release of the satellite.

The rocket's flight is managed by International Launch Services, the Proton's chief marketer to commercial satellite companies. It will be the 74th ILS Proton dating back the past 16 years.

The lower Proton stages leave the combined upper stage and SES 5 vehicle on a suborbital trajectory. The first Breeze M firing is needed to achieve a temporary parking orbit around Earth at an altitude of 107 miles, inclined 51.5 degrees.

The next four Breeze M firings will methodically raise the orbit and reduce inclination before deploying the SES 5 spacecraft into an orbit with an apogee of 22,236 miles, perigee of 2,591 miles and inclination of 23.1 degrees.

The rocket's separation from the satellite is expected at 0350 GMT (11:50 p.m. EDT) to complete the launch sequence.

SES 5 will rely upon its onboard propulsion 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 5 degrees East longitude.

Check this page during the launch for live updates on the mission's progress.

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