BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the countdown and launch of the Russian Proton rocket carrying the W3A telecommunications satellite. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2004

With its six-engine first stage providing a powerful punch, a Russian Proton rocket roared off the planet Monday night carrying an advanced satellite that will relay telecommunications services across Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and sub-Saharan Africa. Read our full story.

0840 GMT (3:40 a.m. EST)

The Breeze M has accomplished its job, boosting W3A into geosynchronous transfer orbit and deploying the satellite. We'll post a complete story shortly.

0645 GMT (1:45 a.m. EST)

The upper stage and attached W3A payload are currently in the midst of a five-hour coast period prior to the fifth and final firing by the Breeze M. International Launch Services reports that the first four burns have occurred as planned.

Spacecraft separation to complete the launch is expected at 0816 GMT.

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2004
2327 GMT (6:27 p.m. EST)

The Breeze M upper stage and W3A are now in a coast period that will last until T+plus 68 minutes when the stage re-ignites for a 16-minute firing. 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, 42 minutes for a five-minute burn. A final seven-minute burn will occur at T+plus 8 hours, 52 minutes.

The W3A spacecraft will be deployed into geosynchronous transfer orbit from the upper stage at T+plus 9 hours, 10 minutes.

We'll update this page when the next information is released from International Launch Services, which is expected around 0830 GMT (3:30 a.m. EST) with confirmation of spacecraft separation.

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

T+plus 20 minutes, 30 seconds. The first burn of Breeze M has been completed. International Launch Services reports that the vehicle has achieved a circular orbit 182.7 km above Earth.

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

T+plus 11 minutes, 40 seconds. The Breeze M upper stage has been ignited to achieve a low-altitude parking orbit around Earth. This burn should last until about T+plus 18 minutes, 21 seconds.

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

T+plus 10 minutes. The third stage engine shutdown has occurred followed by jettison of the spent stage.

2315 GMT (6:15 p.m. EST)

T+plus 9 minutes. The third stage should complete its burn in less than a minute, followed by separation of the spent motor. The Breeze M and attached W3A spacecraft will 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.

2314 GMT (6:14 p.m. EST)

T+plus 8 minutes, 30 seconds. Third stage engine is firing normally. The Proton is 141 km in altitude and 1,515 km downrange from the launch pad.

2313 GMT (6:13 p.m. EST)

T+plus 7 minutes. The Proton is 139 km in altitude and 1,023 km downrange from the launch pad. The rocket is no longer gaining altitude -- leveling its trajectory in order to gain speed.

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

T+plus 6 minutes, 5 seconds. The payload fairing enclosing the W3A spacecraft atop the rocket has separated. The third stage continues to fire.

2311 GMT (6:11 p.m. EST)

T+plus 5 minutes, 55 seconds. Second stage separation has occurred and ignition of the Proton third stage has been confirmed.

2311 GMT (6:11 p.m. EST)

T+plus 5 minutes, 15 seconds. Coming up on burn out and separation of the second stage. Altitude 120 km, downrange distance from the launch pad 565 km.

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

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

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

T+plus 4 minutes, 30 seconds. The vehicle is now 109 km in altitude and 390 km downrange from the launch pad.

2309 GMT (6:09 p.m. EST)

T+plus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. The Proton is 90 km in altitude and 221 km downrange from the launch pad.

2308 GMT (6:08 p.m. EST)

T+plus 2 minutes, 45 seconds. The first stage engines have shut down and the spent stage has separated. The four second stage engines are up and burning as planned.

2307 GMT (6:07 p.m. EST)

T+plus 90 seconds. Just over a half-minute remaining in the first stage burn. Altitude passing 20 km.

2307 GMT (6:07 p.m. EST)

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

2306 GMT (6:06 p.m. EST)

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

2306 GMT (6:06 p.m. EST)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Russian Proton rocket a commercial flight to place Eutelsat W3A telecommunications spacecraft into orbit!

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

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

2301 GMT (6:01 p.m. EST)

T-minus 5 minutes. The launch readiness of the Proton core vehicle, Breeze M upper stage and W3A spacecraft will be verified over the next few minutes in the countdown.

2258 GMT (5:58 p.m. EST)

Weather conditions are within limits for today's Proton launch. The latest report at Baikonur indicates a temperature of -5 degrees C and a north wind at 5 meters per second.

2256 GMT (5:56 p.m. EST)

T-minus 10 minutes and counting. The Proton rocket weighs about 1.5 million pounds as it sits on the launch pad. The W3A spacecraft accounts for 9,370 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 3:56 a.m. local time at the launch site.

2251 GMT (5:51 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 15 minutes and counting. Liftoff of the Proton rocket carrying the W3A communications satellite remains on schedule for 2306 GMT (6:06 p.m. EST) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

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

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2004

A powerful telecommunications spacecraft to serve Europe, the Middle East and Africa will be lofted into orbit Monday night by a Russian Proton rocket.

Liftoff of the modernized Proton M booster fitted with a Breeze M upper stage carrying the W3A satellite cargo is scheduled for 2306 GMT (6:06 p.m. EST) from launch pad 24 at Baikonur Cosmodrome's complex 81 in Kazakhstan.

Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat will use the W3A satellite. The craft is designed to operate for 15 years, relaying direct-to-home entertainment programming, video, data and broadband services across its coverage zone.

The launch will be a marathon -- a trademark of the Proton/Breeze M vehicle configuration. The lower three stages of the Khrunichev-built heavy-lifting 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 W3A.

The lower stages leave Breeze/W3A on a suborbital trajectory. The first Breeze M firing is needed to achieve a temporary parking orbit around Earth at an altitude of 112 miles, inclined 51.6 degrees.

The next four Breeze M firings will methodically raise the orbit and reduce inclination before releasing the W3A spacecraft into an orbit with an apogee of 22,237 miles, perigee of 2,472 miles and inclination of 13 degrees.

W3A 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 7 degrees East longitude.

Built by EADS Astrium of Toulouse, France, the 9,370-pound W3A spacecraft uses the Eurostar E3000 design.

This will be the year's first commercial Proton mission under the guidance of International Launch Services. One mission was carried out last year. Overall, it is the 28th ILS Proton. Multiple launches are expected throughout 2004.

ILS is the joint venture formed in 1995 between Lockheed Martin, Khrunichev and Energia to market Atlas and Proton rockets worldwide. Today's launch comes just days after an Atlas 3A rocket successfully flew from Cape Canaveral.