International Launch Services (ILS)
got off a successful launch, over the weekend, carrying the
Indostar II/Protostar II satellite into orbit. This marks the
second commercial mission of the year for ILS and the fourth
successful Proton launch of 2009. The May 16th launch comes on the
heels of the milestone 50th ILS Proton launch on April 3rd.
The Indostar II/Protostar II satellite was launched for
Protostar LTD of Bermuda and will be commercially operated for
Indovision of Jakarta, Indonesia, the largest Direct to Home
operator in Indonesia.
The ILS Proton Breeze M launched from Pad 39 at the cosmodrome
at 6:57 a.m. Saturday (8:57 p.m. EDT, 00:57 GMT). After a 9 hour 15
minute mission, the Breeze M successfully released the satellite
into the planned geo-transfer orbit. This was the 345th launch for
the Proton. The Proton Breeze M vehicle is developed and built by
Khrunichev Research and Production Space Center of Moscow,
Russia’s premier space manufacturer.
The Indostar II/Protostar II satellite, located at 107.7 degrees
East, was built on the Boeing 601 HP platform and is the second
satellite in Protostar’s evolving constellation. This
satellite replaces the existing Chakarawarta 1 and will bring high
power S-band and Ku-band capacity over Indonesia, with expanded
service to India, the Philippines and Taiwan. The satellite’s
S-band transponders will support Direct to Home TV and Radio
services for Indovision. The satellite will also offer HDTV
multimedia and broadband services throughout the ASEAN region.
“As a new customer, we are thrilled to support the
continued expansion of Protostar’s business with an ILS
Proton launch,” said ILS President Frank McKenna. “Our
focus on the time critical needs of Indovision was the driver to
providing continuous DTH and Radio services to the entire region.
We were pleased to offer the same outstanding service, quality and
reliability that ILS Proton stands for and delivers.”
“We expected a flawless mission, and that is exactly what
was ILS Proton delivered,” said Philip Father, CEO of
Protostar. “This successful launch of the Indostar
II/Protostar II satellite enables us to optimize our robust direct
to home services in ASEAN with the most powerful satellite to join
the Protostar fleet. It also demonstrates our commitment to
enhancing the next generation of television services across Asia
through a multi-satellite constellation. Many thanks to ILS for
their dedication and support throughout the entire mission and for
a job well done.”
ILS has exclusive rights to market the Proton, Russia’s
premier heavy-lift vehicle, to commercial satellite operators
worldwide. ILS is a U.S. company located in Reston, Virginia, near
Washington, D.C. The majority owner is Khrunichev Space Center.