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Intelsat 23 - Launch Updates
Proton-M Launch Vehicle Information, Countdown Timeline, ILS Mission Archive
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Intelsat 23 delivered to Orbit after successful Proton/Briz-M Mission |
October 14, 2012 |
*File Image* - Photo: Khrunichev
*File Image* - Photo: Khrunichev
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A Proton-M/Briz-M Launch Vehicle lifted off from Launch Pad 24 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Sunday at 8:37 UTC on a mission to deliver the Intelsat 23 Communications Satellite directly to Geostationary Orbit. This flight marks the return to flight of the Russian duo of Proton and Briz-M following the Upper Stage Failure on the latest mission on August 6.
After being rolled to the Launch Pad on Wednesday, technicians made final configurations on the Proton-M Launcher to set the stage for Countdown operations and final testing. The Pad Flow was longer than usual to perform additional tests of the vehicle and its Upper Stage. All pre-launch checks were completed as planned and revealed that the Proton Launcher and its Briz-M Upper Stage were in proper condition and in readiness for the long mission to deliver the Spacecraft to its targeted orbit. After sunset at the launch site, final preparations for the flight started at the launch pad and control facilities at the Cosmodrome. One hour prior to T-0, the Service Structure was retracted from the Proton Vehicle and personnel cleared the blast-danger area. Also, Countdown clocks were synchronized with the Master Computer and Flight Computers on the Proton started providing vehicle telemetry. Going through an automated sequence during the final minutes of the countdown, the Proton underwent Propellant Tank Pressurization and transferred to internal power. At that point, the Intelsat Payload had already been transferred to internal power to get ready for its long ride to orbit. Launch occurred on Time at 8:37 UTC - making this a rare day launch of the Proton - and the Proton Rocket soared into the Kazakh Sky performing its initial Roll and Pitch Maneuver to align itself with its exact trajectory taking it to its nominal cutoff point. Two Minutes into the Flight, the first stage burned out and separated from the Vehicle with Stage 2 taking over powered flight for nearly 3.5 Minutes before being jettisoned. |
After starting the 4-minute 14-second third stage burn, the Payload Fairing was separated – exposing the Intelsat 23 Satellite as the vehicle had left the dense portion of the Atmosphere at that point in the flight. Thermal and aerodynamic loads are no longer of concern at that point in the mission. 9 Minutes and 41 Seconds after Blastoff the third stage shut down and separated from the orbital unit consisting of Briz-M Upper Stage and Payload. The Proton-M that was manufactured at the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, successfully completed its Mission delivering the stack to a sub-orbital trajectory. The first burn of the upper stage started shortly after separation from the Proton and was 3 Minutes and 50 Seconds in duration placing the stack in a circular parking orbit with an altitude of 181 Kilometers and an inclination of 51.5 degrees.
Achieving Low Earth Orbit was only the first step in a long Mission to deliver the payload to a near geostationary orbit. For that, the Briz-M Upper Stage had to make a total of four Engine Burns over the course of 9 Hours and 30 Minutes before deploying the spacecraft.
After arriving in its Parking Orbit, the vehicle completed a 53-minute Coast Phase before igniting its S5.98 Engine again on its second burn starting in the ascending node of the orbit. All upper stage burns are preceded by settling burns for propellant setting. This 18-minute and 16-second engine burn made the orbit elliptical with a perigee of 318 Kilometers and an apogee of about 5,000 Kilometers at an inclination of 48.6 degrees. The second burn was 25 seconds shorter than calculated which is not uncommon since the Shutdown of the Upper Stage is velocity triggered.
The next coast phase was just under two hours in duration with Upper Stage ignition at T+3 hours 26 minutes and 56 seconds. The third burn was successful and had a duration of 18 minutes and 11 seconds - 5 seconds shorter than planned. After this burn, the stack was in a 494 by 37,128-Kilometer Orbit with an inclination of 46.2 degrees which is essentially right on the money, perfectly within margins. 80 seconds after shutdown, the Upper Stage's Auxiliary Propellant Tank separated as it was emptied by the previous burn. With this operation complete, the vehicle entered its longest coast phase of 5 hours and 18 minutes during which the upper stage performed active attitude control maneuvers to maintain thermal limits.
At the transfer orbit apogee, at T+9 hours 3 minutes and 15 seconds, the Briz M ignited again to circularize the orbit to near GEO. The burn was as planned with a duration of 11 minutes and 45 seconds and the vehicle was placed in a near Geostationary Orbit. Just 14 minutes and 13 seconds later, Intelsat 23 was separated to complete this return to flight mission - achieving a complete success on this ambitious direct GEO insertion. This was only the fourth time an ILS Proton/Briz-M made a direct insertion into GEO. The desired separation altitude was 37,180 Kilometers.
This was Proton’s 380th Flight since the start of the Program back in 1965 and the 8th of this year. It was the 75th ILS Proton Mission and the 6th ILS Launch of 2012. Intelsat 23 is the 11th Intelsat Spacecraft and the 5th Orbital Sciences Satellite orbited by ILS Proton Vehicles. It was the 4th direct flight to Geostationary Orbit for ILS. For Payload and Mission Information, refer to the section below.
Achieving Low Earth Orbit was only the first step in a long Mission to deliver the payload to a near geostationary orbit. For that, the Briz-M Upper Stage had to make a total of four Engine Burns over the course of 9 Hours and 30 Minutes before deploying the spacecraft.
After arriving in its Parking Orbit, the vehicle completed a 53-minute Coast Phase before igniting its S5.98 Engine again on its second burn starting in the ascending node of the orbit. All upper stage burns are preceded by settling burns for propellant setting. This 18-minute and 16-second engine burn made the orbit elliptical with a perigee of 318 Kilometers and an apogee of about 5,000 Kilometers at an inclination of 48.6 degrees. The second burn was 25 seconds shorter than calculated which is not uncommon since the Shutdown of the Upper Stage is velocity triggered.
The next coast phase was just under two hours in duration with Upper Stage ignition at T+3 hours 26 minutes and 56 seconds. The third burn was successful and had a duration of 18 minutes and 11 seconds - 5 seconds shorter than planned. After this burn, the stack was in a 494 by 37,128-Kilometer Orbit with an inclination of 46.2 degrees which is essentially right on the money, perfectly within margins. 80 seconds after shutdown, the Upper Stage's Auxiliary Propellant Tank separated as it was emptied by the previous burn. With this operation complete, the vehicle entered its longest coast phase of 5 hours and 18 minutes during which the upper stage performed active attitude control maneuvers to maintain thermal limits.
At the transfer orbit apogee, at T+9 hours 3 minutes and 15 seconds, the Briz M ignited again to circularize the orbit to near GEO. The burn was as planned with a duration of 11 minutes and 45 seconds and the vehicle was placed in a near Geostationary Orbit. Just 14 minutes and 13 seconds later, Intelsat 23 was separated to complete this return to flight mission - achieving a complete success on this ambitious direct GEO insertion. This was only the fourth time an ILS Proton/Briz-M made a direct insertion into GEO. The desired separation altitude was 37,180 Kilometers.
This was Proton’s 380th Flight since the start of the Program back in 1965 and the 8th of this year. It was the 75th ILS Proton Mission and the 6th ILS Launch of 2012. Intelsat 23 is the 11th Intelsat Spacecraft and the 5th Orbital Sciences Satellite orbited by ILS Proton Vehicles. It was the 4th direct flight to Geostationary Orbit for ILS. For Payload and Mission Information, refer to the section below.
Intelsat 23 - Satellite Information
Photo: Orbital Sciences
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Intelsat 23 is a commercial Communications Satellite that will be operated by Intelsat, Luxembourg. The prime contractor for the satellite is Orbital Sciences, USA.
Intelsat 23 is based on Orbital’s flight-proven GeoStar-2 Satellite Bus featuring a powerful 4.8-kilowatt payload. The vehicle has a launch mass of 2,730 Kilograms and is outfitted with two deployable Gallium-Arsenide solar arrays and on-board batteries for power generation. Intelsat 23 features a communications payload consisting of 24 C-Band Transponders and 15 Ku-Band Transponders. The C-Band System features a 2.5 by 2.7-meter single shell super-elliptical deployable reflector as well as a 1.3 by 1.65-meter deck-mounted reflector. The Ku-Band System features a 2.5 by 2.7-meter deployable reflector. The vehicle is three-axis stabilized with a zero-momentum system. Intelsat 23’s reaction control system is a monopropellant hydrazine system. |
The Main Propulsion System features an IHI BT-4 Main Engine. BT-4 was developed by IHI Aerospace, Japan and has a dry mass of 4 kilograms and a length of 0.65 meters. The engine provides 450 Newtons of Thrust and uses Hydrazine and mixed Oxides of Nitrogen as propellants. Intelsat 23 has a life expectancy of 15 years. The satellite will replace the Intelsat 707 spacecraft at a position of 307° East Longitude in Geostationary Orbit providing coverage of the Americas, the Caribbean, Western Europe and selected islands in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. “Intelsat 23 will refresh satellite capacity across four continents, offering critical services to the world’s leading communications providers,” said Intelsat CEO David McGlade. “This launch continues our current fleet replacement and expansion campaign, which is scheduled for completion in early 2013.”
Mission Information
Mission Timeline
Information Source: International Launch Services |
To deliver the Intelsat 23 Spacecraft to a nearly Geostationary Orbit, the Proton-M Rocket will perform a nominal ascent mission and deliver the Orbital Unit consisting of a Briz-M Upper Stage and the Payload, to a sub-orbital trajectory. The large Proton-M Rocket will launch from Pad 24 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Separating after 9 Minutes and 41 Seconds, the Orbital Unit will start powered flight by igniting the Briz-M Main Engine to place itself in a Low-Earth Parking Orbit. In total, the Briz-M Upper Stage will make four Main Engine Burns separated by coast phases to increase its orbital altitude. After all burns are complete, the Satellite will be separated 9 Hours and 30 Minutes after Liftoff and start its own mission lasting for at least 15 years.
Mission Ground Track
Map: International Launch Services
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3. Transfer Orbit
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| Perigee | 37,180km | |
| Apogee | 37,180km | |
| Inclination | 00.0° |
Proton at Launch Pad for Return to Flight this Weekend |
October 11, 2012 |
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Final Preparations to return the Proton-M/Briz-M to flight are underway at Launch Pad 24 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, where the fully integrated Proton Rocket is being prepared for blastoff on Sunday at 8:37 GMT on a mission to deliver the Intelsat 23 Communications Satellite to Geostationary Orbit.
Starting on October 2, the complex payload integration process took place inside the Spacecraft Processing Facility of the Cosmodrome. The Intelsat Spacecraft was installed atop its Payload Adapter provided by RUAG Space before the stack was attached to the Briz-M Upper Stage that underwent extensive checkouts and equipment replacements following the August 6 failure of a similar vehicle. Once the stack was complete, the Upper Stage with its Payload were encapsulated in the protective Payload Fairing. These operations were completed on October 4 and the Upper Composite underwent electrical checks before being transported to the Launcher Integration Building 111. There, the Upper Composite was installed on the Proton launcher over the weekend. To start this week, the integrated vehicle went through a series of checkouts. The State Commission Meeting concluded with the decision to roll the vehicle to the launch pad. Rollout took place in the early hours, local time, on Wednesday. Once arriving at the Launch Complex, the Proton Launcher was placed in its vertical launch position. The large Proton-M Booster was secured at the complex and the Service Structure was moved in place around the Vehicle to provide access platforms for vehicle close-outs and nominal pre-launch operations. As part of On-Pad-Operations, the vehicle is put through extensive tests to ensure it is in proper condition and in readiness for its flight. On Sunday, the Countdown will get underway to set the stage for launch at 8:37 UTC on a 9-hour and 30-minute mission to deliver IS-23 to its desired Geostationary Orbit. |
Photo: Khrunichev
Photo: Khrunichev
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Currently, all operations are on track for an on-time launch. This will be Proton’s 380th Flight since the start of the Program back in 1965. It will be the 75th ILS Proton Mission and the 6th ILS Launch of 2012. Intelsat 23 is the 11th Intelsat Spacecraft and the 5th Orbital Sciences Satellite to be orbited by ILS Proton Vehicles. It is the 4th direct flight to Geostationary Orbit for ILS. For Payload and Mission Information, refer to the section below.
Photo: Khrunichev
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Photo: Khrunichev
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Photo: Khrunichev
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Photo: Khrunichev
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Photo: Khrunichev
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Proton-M/Briz-M to return to Flight this Month
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October 1, 2012
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*File Image* - -Photo: Khrunichev
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International Launch Services and the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center are preparing to return the Proton-M/Briz-M combination to flight this month after the investigation on the recent upper stage failure was completed.
On August 6, a Briz-M Upper Stage launched atop a Proton Launcher to deliver the Telkom-3 and Ekspress-MD-2 Communication Satellites to orbit. The Proton-M delivered the Orbital Unit to a sub-orbital trajectory and the Briz-M assumed control of the flight to incrementally increase the orbital altitude of the vehicle making a number of burns. The third burn of the Briz-M Upper Stage was aborted seven seconds into a planned 18-minute 5-second burn causing the satellites to be stranded in a low orbit where they are of no use. An investigative commission led by the head of Roscosmos, Vladimir Popovkin, was formed to determine the exact circumstances of the failure. Later in August, the board delivered its report providing details on the failure. The engine of the Briz-M Upper Stage had not reached operational conditions at the start of the third burn due to a failure in the Helium Pressurization System and the Control System triggered an emergency shutdown. In addition, Vladimir Popovkin announced that the third stage of the Proton Launcher also encountered a failure on its way uphill, but was still able to reach an acceptable trajectory. Details on this problem have not been provided. The failure investigation board concluded with corrective measures being taken on all existing Briz-M Upper Stages followed by extensive checkouts of the spacecraft. In addition, new quality-control procedures will be implemented in the Briz-M production cycle. Also, the Quality Management System in all Khrunichev production facilities will be improved. While the investigation was underway and during the checkouts of the existing Briz-M vehicles, the Upper Stages were suspended from flight. Return to flight of the Proton-M/Briz-M Duo is now set for October 14 when an ILS Proton Launcher will lift off on a mission to deliver a commercial communications satellite to orbit. |
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“This is an opportunity to learn, enhance and improve the overall reliability and processes of our systems,” said acting ILS Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, John Palmé. “I would like to thank the nine representatives of ILS customers, two insurance underwriting representatives and independent outside subject experts who participated in the ILS FROB process for their professionalism and diligence. We appreciate the patience and support of our customers as we plan for the return to flight of the Proton vehicle.”
The remaining Proton Manifest has been compressed to accommodate the planned 2012 launches with four launches planned before the end of the year after the Return to Flight. The launch campaign began at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on June 14, 2012 when the Intelsat 23 vehicle was delivered to the Jubilee Airfield near the space center. IS-23 was moved to the Spacecraft Processing Facility along with ground support equipment for final satellite checkouts. While the launch campaign was on hold, the satellite remained inside the facility with periodic maintenance and testing taking place. Preparations of the launch vehicle resumed in mid-September with final integration operations and testing. In October, the Payload will be integrated on the Briz-M Upper Stage before being encapsulated in the fairing and installed atop the launcher to set the stage for launch operations. |
Image: ILS
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