09 Apr 1996

First Commercial Proton Launch is Successful

MOSCOW, April 9 1996 – A combined Russian, American and European team made space history today with the first launch of a Western satellite on a Russian rocket. The Proton launch vehicle carried the ASTRA 1F satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit early this morning with a dazzling liftoff at 5:09 a.m. (7:09 p.m EDT, April 8) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

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03 Apr 1996

AC-122 Successful Launch

CAPE CANAVERAL Air Station, Fla., April 3, 1996 – A Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA rocket, designated AC-122, successfully launched the first of the new-generation Inmarsat communications satellites tonight from Complex 36A at Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL. Inmarsat-3 F1 was launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit. It was the 22nd consecutive successful Atlas launch from Cape Canaveral and the second successful launch of 1996.

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18 Mar 1996

Proton ASTRA 1F Launch Re-Scheduled

SAN DIEGO, March 18, 1996 – The first commercial Proton launch has been rescheduled for April 9 (early morning Baikonur time, early evening April 8 US Eastern time), International Launch Services (ILS) announced today. The launch had originally been scheduled for 28 March.

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21 Feb 1996

Proton Raduga Launch Anomaly Update

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 21, 1996 – On 19 February 1996, at 11:19 a.m. Moscow time, a Proton rocket launched the “Raduga” Russian communication satellite from Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Preliminary indications from the mission indicated that the first three stages of the Proton and the first burn on the Block DM upper stage were nominal. However, after ground controllers received indications of a problem with the second burn of the upper stage, they began an analysis of the telemetry to determine the nature of the anomaly.

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31 Jan 1996

Successful AC-126 Palapa C1 Launch

CAPE CANAVERAL Air Station, Fla., Jan. 31, 1996 – A Lockheed Martin Atlas IIAS rocket, designated AC-126, successfully launched the Palapa C1 communications satellite for PT Satelit Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo) tonight from Complex 36B at Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL. It was the first launch of 1996 for Atlas and the first launch of a Palapa C for Satelindo.

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25 Jan 1996

AC-126 Pre-Launch Preparations Complete

CAPE CANAVERAL Air Station, Fla., Jan. 25 1996 – A Lockheed Martin Atlas rocket is undergoing final preparations at Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL, to launch its first mission of 1996. The Palapa C1 communication satellite will be launched from Complex 36B for PT Satelit Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo) on January 31 at the opening of a 92-minute launch window that extends from 7:50 to 9:22 p.m. EST.

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17 Jan 1996

Lockheed Martin Selects RD-180 to Power Atlas IIAR

DENVER, CO, January 17, 1996 – Lockheed Martin Astronautics announced today it has selected the Pratt & Whitney unit of United Technologies Corporation and its Russian partner, NPO Energomash, to supply the RD-180 rocket engine for the new Atlas IIAR space launch vehicle. A firm contract with the Pratt & Whitney NPO Energomash team is expected to be signed after approval by the Russian government of the appropriate export licenses to support the program. Lockheed Martin is developing the Atlas IIAR to reduce costs, simplify operations and improve the reliability of launch services the company provides to U.S. government, and international and domestic commercial customers. NPO Energomash has been developing the RD-180 since March 1994 and, together with Pratt & Whitney, has agreed to meet the requirements for the first launch of an Atlas IIAR in December 1998.

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11 Dec 1995

AC-120 Pre-Launch News Release

CAPE CANAVERAL Air Station, FL, December 11 1995 – A Lockheed Martin Atlas rocket is undergoing final preparations at Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL, to launch the Galaxy III-R satellite for Hughes Communications, Inc. on December 14, 1995. The 54-minute launch window extends from 7:23 to 8:17 p.m. EST. This will be the eleventh Atlas launch from the Cape this year. All ten previous missions have been successful.

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