30 Aug 2010

SpaceNews Article: Profile Frank McKenna; Riding a Topsy-turvy Market

‘When Frank McKenna took the reins at International Launch Services (ILS) in October 2006, he anticipated launching four commercial satellites per year aboard the Russian-built Proton rocket. This year, ILS expects to launch eight times, about double the number of launches on the Proton’s Russian government manifest…’

READ MORE

24 Aug 2010

Breeze M Arrives at Baikonur for SIRIUS XM-5 Launch

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, August 24, 2010 --The Breeze M upper stage (US) – which will be used as a forth stage on a Proton M space rocket to insert into orbit the Sirius XM-5 satellite – was delivered today to Baikonur Launch Base (Cosmodrome) on a Russian AN-124-100 ‘Ruslan’ transport aircraft of Polet Airlines.

READ MORE

06 Aug 2010

Proton M Shipped to Baikonur to Launch Sirius XM-5

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, August 06, 2010 – The Khrunichev Space Center, Moscow shipped a Proton M launch vehicle to the Baikonur Launch Base on the night of August 6 to support the mission of Sirius XM-5, a U.S. communication spacecraft.

READ MORE

16 Jul 2010

July 16th Marks the 45th Anniversary of the First Proton Launch

Today, Proton celebrates the 45th anniversary of its first flight. Originally named UR-500, the rocket later took on the name Proton in homage of its first three payloads. Its first payload, the satellite “Proton-1,” weighed over twelve tons and was inserted into orbit at 589 km apogee, 183 km perigee, and an inclination of 63.4 degrees.

READ MORE

11 Jul 2010

ILS Succesfully Launches the EchoStar XV Satellite for DISH Network

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, July 11, 2010 – International Launch Services (ILS), a leading launch services provider for the global commercial satellite industry, successfully carried the EchoStar XV satellite into orbit today on an ILS Proton for DISH Network L.L.C., the fastest-growing pay-TV provider in America. EchoStar Satellite Services L.L.C., a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS), manages DISH Network’s space programs and will begin in-orbit testing of the satellite later this month.

READ MORE

18 Jun 2010

ILS Celebrates 15 Years in the Commercial Launch Marketplace; Serving Global Customer’s Needs with Real Value

Celebrating 15 Years in Commercial Launch

This month, ILS celebrates a very special anniversary—our 15th year in the commercial launch business. Our emergence over this period of time as one of the world’s most successful commercial launch providers is a testament to the strength of our partnership with Khrunichev, the quality and performance of the Proton launch system, and an unwavering commitment to provide value to our customers.

READ MORE

04 Jun 2010

ILS Proton Successfully Launches BADR-5

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, June 4, 2010 – International Launch Services (ILS), a leading launch services provider for the global commercial satellite industry, successfully carried the BADR-5 satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit today on an ILS Proton for Arabsat of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Arabsat is the largest satellite operator in the Middle East and North Africa and has been ranked the ninth largest satellite operator in the world. 

READ MORE

01 Jun 2010

International Launch Services Announces the ILS Proton Launch of ANIK G1 in 2012

Anik G1 will be launched into geostationary orbit on an ILS Proton, carrying 16 transponders operating in the extended Ku-band that will be used by Shaw Direct, a leading provider of direct-to-home satellite TV services in Canada. Anik G1 will also provide expansion and follow-on capacity at 107.3 degrees West covering South America.  In addition, Anik G1 will have capacity operating in the X-band frequencies over the Americas and the Pacific Ocean—the first satellite to cover the Pacific Ocean with substantial X-band coverage. To be built by Space Systems/Loral utilizing the flight-proven 1300 platform, Anik G1 is anticipated to have a service lifetime of 15 years.

READ MORE

01 Jun 2010

Satellite Evolution Article: Quality, assurance, and reliability

‘Packed launch manifests, a new launch vehicle in development and a launch capability being tested in the market mean that Frank McKenna, President of ILS is kept extremely busy. Helen Jameson talked to Frank about the past twelve months including helping operators in need, and the way the launch services industry will evolve in the future…’

READ MORE

Contact Us!

For the latest news and information, or if you have a question, please email ILS at contactus@ilslaunch.com