(press release taken from Khrunichev website)

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, 03 February, 2014 – The TurkSat 4A/Proton M launch campaign proceeds at Baikonur in compliance with the approved schedule.

At the moment, the Ascent Unit (i.e., the TurkSat 4A/adapter/Breeze M/PLF stack) is being integrated in Hall 101, Integration-and-Test Facility (IFT) 92A-50 by Khrunichev, MELCO of Japan, RUAG Space AB of Sweden and ILS of the U.S.

TurkSat was moved from the clean room (where the spacecraft underwent standalone tests) to Hall 101 in the morning of last Sunday, February 2, for integration with the Upper Stage.  On the same day, the spacecraft was mated to the Upper Stage via an adapter system designed and made by Khrunichev. The adapter system includes a separation system manufactured by RUAG Space. The separation system is used for connection and in-flight disconnection of the spacecraft from the Upper Stage. On the completion of this mating procedure, the Russian and foreign specialists  performed electrical check-outs.

Preparatory operations for encapsulation were started at ITF earlier today.  These include bringing the spacecraft/Breeze M stack into a horizontal position, satellite electrical check-outs, and tests of the TurkSat/ground RF link.

The encapsulation is to be carried out tomorrow.

Ascent Unit processing will last until the end of this week.  Then the unit will be moved to the ILV AIT Hall to be integrated with the Proton LV.
The TurkSat 4A launch is scheduled for this February.

The satellite is built by Mitsubishi Electric – МЕLCO of Japan for the Turksat AS satellite operator of Turkey. The TurkSat 4A launch on a Proton is contracted by International Launch Services Inc., a Russian/U.S. joint venture head-quartered in Reston, VA. ILS has exclusive rights for marketing the Russian-made heavy-lift Proton M launch vehicle worldwide. The state-run Khrunichev Research and Production Space Center of Russia, the Proton/Breeze M designer and manufacturer, has held majority interest in ILS since 2008.