Payload:
Intelsat 31 Communications Satellite
SSL 1300 Platform
Separated spacecraft mass: 6,450 kg
Launch Vehicle:
Proton M/Breeze M
705,000 kg (1,554,000 lbs), including payload
58.2 m (191 ft)
Launch Date:
June 8, 2016
Launch Time:
13:10 Baikonur
10:10 Moscow
07:10 GMT
03:10 EDT
00:10 PDT
Launch Site:
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch Pad 24
Launch Customer:
Intelsat, Luxembourg
Satellite Manufacturer:
SSL, Palo Alto, California
Launch Vehicle Manufacturer:
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Moscow, Russian Federation
Launch Services Provider:
International Launch Services
Reston, VA, USA
Satellite Use:
Intelsat 31, a flexible, powerful satellite built by SSL for Intelsat. It will be co-located with Intelsat 30 at 95 degrees West longitude, where it will augment and provide redundancy and reliability for direct-to-home broadcast services. The 20-kilowatt satellite will be used by DIRECTV Latin America for high definition programming throughout Spanish-speaking South American and the Caribbean.
Mission Profile:
The Proton M launch vehicle, utilizing a 5-burn Breeze M Supersynchronous Transfer Orbit (SSTO) mission design, will lift off from Pad 24 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with the Intelsat 31 satellite on board. The first three stages of the Proton will use a standard ascent profile to place the orbital unit (Breeze M upper stage and the Intelsat 31 satellite) into a sub-orbital trajectory. From this point in the mission, the Breeze M will perform planned mission maneuvers to advance the orbital unit first to a circular parking orbit, then to an intermediate orbit, followed by a transfer orbit, and finally to a supersynchronous transfer orbit. Separation of the Intelsat 31 satellite is scheduled to occur approximately 15 hours, 31 minutes after lift-off.
Target Orbit at Separation:
Perigee: 3503 km
Apogee: 65,000 km
Inclination: 29.6 degrees
Spacecraft Separation:
Approximately 15 hours, 30 minutes after liftoff
ILS Mission Statistics:
_12th Intelsat Satellite Launched on ILS Proton
_28th SSL Satellite Launched on ILS Proton
_2nd ILS Proton Launch in 2016
_93rd ILS Proton Launch Overall
Live Webcast:
Live webcast can be seen at: http://intelsat31.imgondemand.com
Live Broadcast:
Live coverage starting at 0245 EDT/0645 GMT
Launch is scheduled for 0310 EDT/0710 GMT
Launch Broadcast concludes at 0330 EDT/0730 GMT
Social Media:
“Like” us on the ILS Facebook page and follow us on Twitter: #Intelsat31
More Information:
General mission information and launch status updates are available at the website. You can also follow us on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook for mission updates.
Media Inquiries:
Karen Monaghan, Director of Communications and Customer Relations, International Launch Services +1-571-633-7549; mobile: +1-571-282-5195; k.monaghan@ilslaunch.com.