From Khrunichev Press Release
BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, September 12, 2010 — The Sirius XM-5, a U.S.-built communications satellite that will be launched for Sirius XM Radio in October, arrived at the Baikonur Launch Base onboard Antonov-124 cargo aircraft operated by Volga-Dnepr Airlines (Russia), on Sunday, 12 September.
After customs clearance, the SIRIUS XM-5 and its supporting equipment was moved to launcher integration facility “MIK” (Site 92), where the satellite will be readied for the launch on a Proton M launch vehicle.
International Launch Services (ILS) has received a contract from Sirius XM Radio, America’s satellite radio company, to launch the XM-5 satellite on an ILS Proton. Khrunichev, which manufactures the Proton, holds the majority interest in ILS.
The October launch will be the sixth time a Proton-M heavy carrier rocket has lifted off with a foreign satellite in 2010