Washington: The Russian rocket carrier
Proton will deliver two telecommunication satellites to orbit
for Intelsat, the world's biggest satellite communication
consortium.
According to the agreement, Intelast-21 will be put into
orbit in early 2012 and Intelsat-23 at the end of 2011,
American International Launch Services (ILS), in which
Russia's Khrunichev Space Centre has a majority share, said
yesterday.
Both satellites will be launched from Baikonur,
Kazakhstan.
Protons have already put six Intelsat satellites into the
target orbits, including on February 12, 2010.
Intelsat-21 with a flight weight of 6.3 tonnes is being
made by Boeing. It will replace Intelsat-9 to service
customers in the Western Hemisphere and Europe, providing
digital television and radio broadcasting, telephone, and
broadband Internet access services.
Intelasat-23 with a takeoff weight of 2.73 tonnes will be
made by Orbital Sciences, Virginia, to provide telecom
services in North and South America, Europe, and Africa.
ILS is based outside Washington DC, in Reston, Virginia,
and advances Khrunichev's Proton and Briz-M booster services
to the international markets.
The joint venture was created in 1995 by Lockheed Martin,
which seceded in 2006, and RKK Energia has made 57 Proton
launches since 1996.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 16:13