ILS Release
ILS Proton Successfully Launches Eutelsat's HOT BIRD 8™ Broadcast
Satellite
BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, Aug. 5, 2006 - A Proton Breeze M launch
vehicle successfully placed the HOT BIRD 8 satellite into orbit today,
for the fourth launch of the year for International Launch Services (ILS).
The launcher lifted off at 3:48 a.m. Saturday local time (21:48 Friday
GMT, 5:48 p.m. Friday EDT). The mission lasted 9 hours and 11 minutes
before HOT BIRD 8 was released into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The
satellite is a Eurostar E3000 model built for Eutelsat by EADS Space.
From its final orbital position of 13 degrees East longitude, HOT BIRD
8 will serve customers in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
This was Eutelsat's second launch on an ILS Proton vehicle, following
six on ILS's other vehicle, the American Atlas launcher. ILS is a joint
venture of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Russian rocket builder
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. ILS markets and
manages the missions on the Atlas and Proton vehicles for commercial
satellite customers worldwide.
"We appreciate the continued confidence Eutelsat has shown Proton," said
ILS President Mark Albrecht. He noted that the launch campaign proceeded
smoothly, on schedule, after the spacecraft arrived at the Baikonur
launch site July 6.
"Today's successful launch was made possible through the exceptional
levels of commitment by ILS and Khrunichev to the Proton launch vehicle.
Our HOT BIRD 8 broadcast satellite is now well on course to its final
destination at our prime video neighborhood at 13 degrees East, and we
look forward to bringing it into commercial service in October," said
Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta.
Albrecht said, "ILS is now on track to complete six launches in 2006 -
we have seen two each for Proton Breeze M and Atlas V, and have two more
planned for Proton. The Russian government plans a total of three Proton
launches this year, so with seven missions Proton remains the workhorse
of the industry.
"Additionally, the Atlas V is scheduled to fly with its first U.S. Air
Force EELV mission late in the year," Albrecht said. "This complementary
mix of 10 government and commercial missions ensure a good launch tempo
that benefits all customers."
ILS was formed in 1995, and is based in McLean, Va., a suburb of
Washington, D.C. Lockheed Martin, headquartered in Bethesda, Md.,
employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment
of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation
reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion.
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