(Khrunichev Press Release)
Yesterday at Baikonur, the State Commission authorized the rollout of the Proton M ILV/Breeze M/Loutch SC to the launch pad area.
In accordance with the State Commission go-ahead, the transfer of the Proton M ILV to the pad area started at 04:30 Moscow Time.
Proton M was installed in the launch pad and erected. After the ILV roll-up to the service tower and completion of required hookups, specialists from Khrunichev and other Roscosmos entities proceeded with the operations specified in the Day 1 schedule.
For the next few days it is planned to check out the ILV hardware and ground support equipment, and fill the LV with propellants and compresses gases.
The launch of the Loutch SC is scheduled for 28 September. It will be Proton’s fifth launch in 2014.
The Loutch satellite was designed and built at JSC Information Satellite Systems – Reshetnev Company.
The Proton M launch vehicle and Breeze M upper stage are the products designed and serially built by the state-run Khrunichev Space Center (“Khrunichev”) . The upgraded Proton M outfitted with the Breeze M upper stage is capable of injecting 6MT+ payloads to geostationary orbits.
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is the largest company of Russia’s space industry, integrating both the leading design bureaus and manufacturing facilities. Khrunichev is a leading designer and producer of launch systems (launch vehicles and upper-stage boosters) and rocket propulsion systems to insert space vehicles intended for various purposes to specified orbits. Khrunichev fully supports the end-to-end production cycle of its products.