Search Results for: Baikonur Cosmodrome

EchoStar Launches Awarded to Atlas and Proton

SAN DIEGO, May 30, 1996 – International Launch Services (ILS) formally signed a contract today to provide launch services to EchoStar Communications Corp. on each of its two launch vehicles, the Lockheed Martin Atlas and the Russian-built Proton. An Atlas IIAS will launch EchoStar’s third high-power direct broadcast satellite in the time period September 1997 through November 1997, and a Proton will launch EchoStar IV in the first quarter of 1998.

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

And What’s a Schedule…Without Some Planned Breaks.

And it may be Baikonur, but the Polyot kitchen and dining hall were filled with the aromas of Italy…if only for one night. We took over the kitchen for a night and treated the team to Italian Night at the Cosmodrome. And while it was only frozen pizzas, it was all homemade spaghetti and meatballs, with a little East Coast and West Coast flare. Add some garlic bread and a tossed salad and you might have thought you were in Tuscany. Fortunately, there were no volunteers to sing “Areviderci Roma”.

READ MORE

SC Fueling Completed!

So far, all of the SC standalone operations and testing for the EchoStar XIV campaign have been nominal. This week’s SC fueling operation was no exception… uneventful! In the past couple of days the SS/L propellant team has been the center of activities here in Baikonur. The EchoStar XIV SC required two separate and unique fueling days, one for the oxidizer load and a second day for the hydrazine fuel. Because the propellant loading is a hazardous operation, the building was cleared and all non-essential personnel spent the time enjoying some of the local culture, shopping the market in town, going to the Gagarin Museum and/or just taking in the sights around our hotel. After seeing one of the Cosmodrome’s first computers at the Gagarin Museum, the SS/L team is really thankful for today’s improved technology. How things have changed… check out the [url=https://www.ilslaunch.com/echostar-xiv-gallery]photos[/url]! Everyone is looking forward to Joint Operations which will start 7 March 2010.

READ MORE

All Systems are Go

[align=center][img]https://www.ilslaunch.com/assets/Images/Media/Nimiq-4-Blog/n4-Erected-blog.jpg[/img][/align] [b]15 September[/b] “Yes sir” or “yeah sure” The gang was given approval by the Russian State commission yesterday evening to roll the Launch vehicle out to Pad 39. Following tradition, at 06h30 today we watched the ILV roll out. Once at the pad, we watched as the rocket slowly and quietly tilted and took another opportunity for photos. Later that night, ILS sponsored a SC Erection party. We were also graced with the presence of a few of the Russian State Commission members, and those able to clear their dance cards enjoyed a few spins around the Fili patio. [b]16 September[/b] Welcome “Baik” Today and over the next few days the technical teams will perform routine checks of the ILV. The schedule is proceeding nominally and has allowed for some of the gang to spend time developing other launch vehicles. After another long day, Astrium hosted a dinner at the Kometa to welcome a few Astrium and Telesat personnel who arrived late in the evening. [b]17 September[/b] The gang gets delayed So it’s getting to be that time of year. Some of the veterans to the Cosmodrome say there are two ways to know the weather is changing out here. One, it rains. The other way to tell something big is coming, ominous clouds. The morning of 16 Sept. the ground was wet and today the sky was cloudy. The temperature dropped and the wind has picked up. I won’t mention the elephant in the room, as there is an official press release. The gang just wanted to remind you that when conversations are awkward, people talk about the weather.. [b]18 September[/b] The gang is on standby All teams continued to perform final SC checks, complete paperwork and for some of the ILS team, prepare for the next campaign. We anxiously awaited the arrival of Russian Commission members, as their plane carried the replacement units for the Launch Vehicle. Installation and then testing until late into the night produced positive results, and we are back on schedule (well, add 24hours and 1 minute).The few days of fall are over and winter is blowing in strong. Handicaps increase at the largest bunker of any golf course in the world and while most people are adapting with layers, others are still holding out for Buffet to show up. [b]19 September[/b] Guess who’s coming to the Russian State Commission, Yar. All hands hoay! After a brief final morning meeting, the gang headed for the Launch Pad to watch the blessing of the rocket ceremony. Nothing says “good luck” like a wet slap in the face with a horse hair brush. No, really. It may seem strange, but it’s tradition and it is another aspect that makes working in Baikonur so unique. Other note worthy events for the day: the VIP’s arrived this afternoon, it was international talk like a pirate day and the Russian Government Commission meeting is to take place tonight at 20h00.

READ MORE

Contact Us!

For the latest news and information, or if you have a question, please email ILS at contactus@ilslaunch.com