The QuetzSat 1 satellite unfurled its power-generating solar arrays this morning as the spacecraft prepares to begin orbit-raising maneuvers tomorrow, manufacturer Space Systems/Loral says.

"On behalf of the hundreds of people who worked on the QuetzSat program, I would like to express our excitement and pride in seeing this satellite successfully launched and performing according to plan," said John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral. "It has been our privilege to work closely with SES over the past few years and to provide them with some of the world's most powerful satellites for advanced television services."

The satellite becomes the 49th member in a global constellation of communications spacecraft operated by SES of Luxembourg. Once QuetzSat 1 enters operations next month, it will provide direct-to-home TV broadcasting to Mexico, the U.S. and Central America via EchoStar and the Dish Mexico and DISH Network services.

"Space Systems/Loral has helped us take the next step in our global growth strategy by providing the QuetzSat 1 satellite," said Martin Halliwell, chief technology officer of SES. "We expect this satellite to provide top quality, reliable DTH services for our customer EchoStar."

And check out the launch photo gallery!

In the post-launch press release, International Launch Services President Frank McKenna says:

"SES has a long history with ILS and is an integral part of our heritage with 19 missions launched on ILS Proton, dating back to the groundbreaking first launch on ILS Proton in 1996 with SES's Astra 1F satellite. This long-term partnership illustrates a high level of confidence and trust in ILS Proton to launch over a third of their satellite fleet.

"We are honored to have launched the important QuetzSat 1 satellite for SES to serve EchoStar and thank SES, Space Systems/Loral and the ILS and Khrunichev teams for ensuring a successful launch of QuetzSat 1 to provide DTH services to Mexico and North and Central America."

In the post-launch press release, SES President and CEO Romain Bausch says:

"The successful launch on ILS Proton of QuetzSat 1 satellite was critical for SES and our customer, EchoStar. We know we can count on ILS as they share the same dedication and commitment to facilitating the expansion of satellite communications worldwide with a launch on the heritage Proton launch vehicle.

"We look forward to our upcoming launches on ILS Proton to support the continued growth and replacement of our satellite fleet, continuing to reach new markets across the globe."

LAUNCH SUCCESS! The Breeze M has accomplished its job, carrying QuetzSat 1 into geosynchronous transfer orbit and deploying the satellite.

QuetzSat 1 begins a 15-year life of direct-to-home television broadcasting for Mexico, the U.S. and Central America.

Built in California by Space Systems/Loral for Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES, the craft's 32 Ku-band transponders will beam entertainment programming to small roof-top dishes from its vantage point in geostationary orbital over the equator at 77 degrees West longitude.

SES will lease the QuetzSat 1's communications relay capacity to EchoStar Corp. for the Dish Mexico and the DISH Network subscription television services.

"QuetzSat1 is an extremely important satellite for us. It marks the start of SES' Mexican operations," said Martin Halliwell, SES chief technology officer.

Today represented the 67th commercial Proton mission under the guidance of International Launch Services and the third this year. The next flight is just a couple weeks away with the ViaSat 1 broadband Internet connectivity satellite to cover the United States.

The final seven-and-a-half-minute push was delivered by the Breeze M main engine while flying high over the Indian Ocean a short time ago. Standing by for spacecraft separation.

The upper stage and attached QuetzSat 1 satellite are currently in the midst of a five-hour coast period prior to the fifth and final firing by the Breeze M tonight.

International Launch Services reports that the third and four burns took place as planned. The maneuvers included a 13-minute firing, then a pause to jettison the now-emptied extra fuel tank, followed by a four-and-a-half-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 264 miles, a high point of 22,244 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 3,718 miles and substantially reduce the inclination to 18.6 degrees.

Spacecraft separation to complete the launch is expected at 0345 GMT (11:45 p.m. EDT).

The second burn has been conducted by the Breeze M upper stage, boosting the rocket and its QuetzSat 1 payload from the initial low-altitude circular parking orbit of about 107 miles at 51.5 degrees inclination.

This latest firing lasting about 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 the next two burns start around 2200 GMT (6:00 p.m. EDT) and 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 QuetzSat 1 are now in a coast period that will last until T+69 minutes, 33 seconds. That is when the stage re-ignites for an 18-minute burn.

A third firing will begin at T+plus 3 hours, 28 minutes and last for 13 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, 43 minutes for a four-and-a-half-minute firing.

A final seven-and-a-half-minute burn will occur at T+plus 8 hours, 52 minutes to finish shaping the orbit.

Spacecraft separation to complete the launch is targeted to occur at T+plus 9 hours, 13 minutes, or 0345 GMT (11:45 p.m. EDT) tonight.

T+plus 22 minutes, 30 seconds. International Launch Services reports that the first burn of Breeze M was successfully completed. Officials say today's mission is going according to plan.

T+plus 12 minutes, 45 seconds. The Breeze M upper stage did ignite to achieve a low-altitude parking orbit around Earth. This burn should last about four-and-a-half minutes.

T+plus 10 minutes, 40 seconds. The third stage has finished firing and jettisoned.

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 QuetzSat 1 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 7 minutes. Second stage separation has occurred and ignition of the Proton third stage has been confirmed. Also, the payload fairing enclosing the QuetzSat 1 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, 6 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.

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 the Russian Proton rocket lifting the QuetzSat 1 television broadcast satellite from Earth to space.

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

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 QuetzSat 1 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 QuetzSat 1 spacecraft accounts for 12,150 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 32 minutes past midnight local time at Baikonur.

The live launch broadcast begins streaming now. Clocks continue to count toward a liftoff at 1832 GMT.

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

• 368th Proton rocket launch since 1965
• 67th International Launch Services Proton
• 48th Proton M using a Breeze M upper stage since 2001
• 5th Proton of 2011 and 3rd for ILS
• 19th Proton launch with SES satellite payload
• 18th SS/L-made satellite on ILS Proton

Liftoff of the Proton rocket carrying the QuetzSat 1 communications satellite remains on schedule for 1832 GMT (2:32 p.m. EDT) 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.

Underway right now is retraction of the launch pad's mobile service tower from the rocket.

The six engines on the Proton first stage will ignite at liftoff 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 QuetzSat 1 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 today.

The countdown is underway for today's flight of the Proton rocket carrying the QuetzSat 1 communications satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

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

A direct-to-home television broadcasting satellite for Mexico and the U.S. will be hauled into orbit Thursday by Russia's commercial Proton heavy-lifting rocket.

Launch of the Proton M booster fitted with a Breeze M upper stage carrying the QuetzSat 1 satellite cargo is scheduled for 1832 GMT (2:32 p.m. EDT) from pad 39 at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES will lease the QuetzSat 1's communications relay capacity to EchoStar Corp. for the Dish Mexico and the DISH Network subscription television services.

Built in California by Space Systems/Loral, the QuetzSat 1 craft is outfitted with 32 Ku-band transponders to beam entertainment programming to small roof-top dishes across Mexico, the U.S. and Central America.

The climb to orbit will be a marathon -- a trademark of the Proton/Breeze M vehicle configuration. 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 QuetzSat 1.

The rocket's flight is managed by International Launch Services, the Proton's chief marketer to commercial satellite companies. It will be the 67th ILS Proton dating back the past 15 years.

The lower Proton stages leave the combined upper stage and QuetzSat 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 51.6 degrees.

The next four Breeze M firings will methodically raise the orbit and reduce inclination before deploying the QuetzSat 1 spacecraft into an orbit with an apogee of 22,236 miles, perigee of 3,718 miles and inclination of 18.6 degrees.

The rocket's separation from the satellite is expected at 0345 GMT (11:45 p.m. EDT) to complete the launch sequence.

QuetzSat 1 will rely upon its onboard engine in the subsequent days 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 77 degrees West longitude.

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

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