Mission Success for Proton-M/Briz-M
|
March 26, 2012
|
|
After launching on Sunday at 12:10 GMT, the International Launch Services Proton-M/Briz-M combination successfully completed a milestone mission delivering Intelsat 22 into a supersynchronous orbit with an apogee altitude of 65,000 Kilometers. Spacecraft Separation occurred 15 Hours and 30 Minutes after launch. Five Burns of the Briz-M Upper Stage were necessary to place the Vehicle in its desired orbit. Before the Upper Stage started controlling the flight, the three stage Proton-M Launch Vehicle performed a nominal ascent delivering the Orbital Unit to its targeted sub-orbital trajectory in less than 10 Minutes, setting the stage for the Briz to take over and propel the stack into a Low Earth Transfer Orbit. At an altitude of 260 Kilometers, 110 Minutes after launch, the second ignition occurred. This 19.5-minute burn made the orbit highly elliptical. From this intermediate orbit, the Briz-M made another burn raising the altitude, dropping a fuel tank and resuming the burn to combine burns 3&4 to boost the Apogee of the stack from 6,000 to just over 65,000 Kilometers. Burn 5 was only 3.5 Minutes in duration and raised the Perigee of the vehicle to 3,791 Kilometers and adjusting the inclination of the trajectory. It was the longest flight of a Briz-M to date and the first supersynchronous flight conducted by a commercial Proton. Spacecraft Separation was nominal and it was reported that Intelsat was in good condition after being deployed at 3:40 GMT on Monday, March 26. The Payload will adjust its orbit in April and enter its final geosynchronous orbit in mid-April. Intelsat 22 will start providing video, voice and data communication services for Europe and Africa to the Middle East, the Indian Ocean and Asia in May. The UHF Payload that will be used by the Australian Defense Force is also going to enter operations at that time.
This successful mission marked the 365th Launch in the Proton Program since its beginning in 1965, the 71st ILS Proton Flight and the 10th Intelsat Payload flown on Proton. |
Photo: Roscosmos
|
Photo: ILS
|
Payload Information
Intelsat 22 is operated by the Intelsat Company of Luxembourg. The Payload is part of Intelsat’s effort to replace its orbital fleet of aging communication satellites with new, state of the art spacecraft. The Vehicle was built by Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems and is based on the new 702MP Satellite Platform. The Spacecraft has a Liftoff Mass of 6,249 Kilograms. Intelsat 22 will operate in orbit for at least 18 years and provide Communication Services for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Payload includes 48 C-Band, 24 Ku-Band and 18 UHF Transponders. The C-Band System provides a downlink coverage range of 3625 to 4200 MHz while the Ku-System covers downlink frequencies of 11.45 to 11.70 and 12.50 to 12.75 GHz. Additionally, the Ultra-High Frequency hosted payload will be used by the Australian Defence Force. Intelsat 22 will operate from a Geosynchronous Orbit at 72 degrees east longitude.
|
Proton successfully Launched, Mission underway
|
March 25, 2012
|
|
An International Launch Services Proton-M Rocket lifted off on time at 12:10 GMT on Sunday, March 25, 2012 from Launch Site 39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The Proton Rocket performed normally during its portion of the long ascent mission to deliver Intelsat 22 to a Supersynchronous Orbit with an Apogee of 65,000 Kilometers. The three stages of the Proton Vehicle operated as expected placing the Orbital Unit consisting of the Satellite and Upper Stage in a Sub-Orbital Trajectory. 9 Minutes and 42 Seconds into the flight, the Briz-M Upper Stage took control over the Mission and made the first of five Main Engine Burns to put the stack in a circular Orbit with an altitude of 260 Kilometers. The first Burn was normal and the vehicle passed out of range of tracking stations. With that, the ascent mission of the Briz-M stage is far from being over as four burns are remaining for the vehicle. This 15 and-a-half-hour mission is the longest Briz-M Flight to date. This particular mission profile has been chosen because it improves launcher capacity by about 200 Kilograms and reduces the amount of propellants needed by the Spacecraft to position itself in a Geosynchronous Orbit enabling it to save fuel to extend its life on orbit. Briz-M is certified for even longer missions constrained by its battery power running out 24 hours after launch. The second burn will occur 110 Minutes after launch and have a duration of 19 minutes and 34 seconds. This burn will place the vehicle in a highly elliptical orbit of 295 by 6,000 Kilometers inclined 51 degrees. For data on subsequent burns, refer to the Mission Information Timeline and Orbital Parameters below on this site. Be sure to follow Spaceflight101 on Twitter for occasional updates throughout this long Mission of the Orbital Unit before Spacecraft Separation occurs 15 Hours and 30 Minutes into the flight at 3:40 GMT on Monday, March 26. |
Photo: Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Photo: Tsenki TV; ILS Launch Broadcast
|
Launch Video
Proton & Intelsat ready for Launch on Sunday
|
March 24, 2012
|
|
An International Launch Services Proton-M Rocket is set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, tomorrow to deliver Intelsat 22 to Orbit.
The Launch Vehicle was rolled to Launch Site 39 at Baikonur on March 24 after it was built and integrated by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and after the Intelsat Payload was installed on the Vehicle. After Rollout, the Launcher was placed in its Launch Position and extensive tests of the Proton got underway which have to be complete before the State Commission gives a GO for Countdown Operations. Launch is set for 12:10 GMT on Sunday, March 26. After blasting off from Baikonur, the Proton Rocket will perform a nominal ascent before handing powered flight over to the Briz-M Upper Stage. The Upper Stage will then be in control of the orbital vehicle, making five burns to place the Payload in its desired Orbit. Ascent Flight duration is 15 hours and 30 minutes, at that point in the Flight, Intelsat will be released to begin its mission in a target orbit of 3,791 by 65,000 Kilometers with an inclination of 28.5 degrees. This Mission marks the 71st Launch of an ILS Proton Rocket, the 10th Intelsat Payload flown on ILS Proton and the second Launch of a ILS Proton in 2012. |
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
The Proton Launcher during Rollout
|
Photo: Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
|
Photo: Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
|
Mission Information
Full Mission Timeline
Source of Timeline/Orbital Information: ILS |
Orbital Parameters
|
| Perigee | 173km | |
| Apogee | 173km | |
| Inclination | 51.5° |
Intermediate Orbit
| Perigee | 295km | |
| Apogee | 6,000km | |
| Inclination | 51.0° |
Transfer Orbit
| Perigee | 475km | |
| Apogee | 65,044km | |
| Inclination | 50.5° |
Target Orbit
| Perigee | 3,791km | |
| Apogee | 65,000km | |
| Inclination | 28.5° |
Credit: ILS
