FOR ILS PROTON LAUNCH OF THE TELSTAR 14R SATELLITE IN MID-2011
RESTON, Va. / Ottawa, Ontario, July 17, 2009 – ILS International Launch Services (ILS) and Telesat, the world’s fourth largest fixed satellite services operator, announced a contract today for the launch on an ILS Proton of Telesat’s recently ordered Telstar 14R satellite. Telstar 14R is under construction by Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California, for delivery to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. ILS and Khrunichev are implementing a mission integration schedule to support a mid-2011 launch. ILS has launched five Telesat satellites. A sixth, Telesat’s Nimiq 5, is scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on an ILS Proton later this year.
Telstar 14R will utilize the flight proven Space Systems/Loral 1300 platform with a 15 year mission life, and a launch mass of approximately 5000 kg, replacing Telstar 14/Estrela do Sul at the orbital location of 63 degrees West. Telesat’s newest satellite will provide long term service for Brazil, the Continental United States (including the Gulf of Mexico and northern Caribbean), the Southern Cone of South America, the Andean region (including Central America and southern Caribbean), and the North and Mid-Atlantic Ocean. The satellite’s Atlantic beam will expand on the Atlantic Ocean Region capacity of both Telstar 14 and Telstar 11N, and secure Telesat’s position as a leader in mobile broadband for maritime and aeronautical customers operating in the Atlantic.
Frank McKenna, president of ILS said, “ILS is dedicated to providing our long-term customer, Telesat, with outstanding launch services. We thank Telesat for their continued trust and reliance on ILS and Khrunichev to deliver on schedule, a successful launch for this important mission, Telstar 14R.”
“The selection of ILS/Proton to launch Telstar 14R demonstrates Telesat’s commitment to serving our customers with expanded and enhanced services throughout the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean region,” said Dan Goldberg, President and CEO of Telesat. “Based on our many successes with ILS and Proton, Telesat is confident that they will meet our schedule requirements and successfully deliver Telstar 14R to its intended orbit. Telesat looks forward to our upcoming Nimiq 5 launch with ILS and to further developing our partnership with the launch of Telstar 14R.”