BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the countdown and launch of the Russian Proton rocket carrying the Amazonas telecommunications satellite. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: PROTON ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH AMAZONAS QT
VIDEO: NARRATED ANIMATION PREVIEWING THE LAUNCH QT
VIDEO: ROCKET ROLLED TO THE LAUNCH PAD QT
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 2004
0757 GMT (3:57 a.m. EDT)

SUCCESS. The Amazonas communications spacecraft that will serve Spanish and Portuguese speaking residents on both sides of the Atlantic was successfully launched aboard a commercial Russian Proton rocket this morning.

The Breeze M upper stage deployed the 10,000-pound craft into geosynchronous transfer orbit following a 9-hour, 11-minute flight. The mission began last night at 2232 GMT (6:32 p.m. EDT) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazahstan.

The satellite will maneuver itself into geostationary orbit and undergo a testing period over the coming weeks. It will be parked at 61 degrees West longitude to focus on Brazil, with additional coverage zones across North and South America, and transatlantic links to Europe and North Africa.

With its 51 C- and Ku-band transponders, the craft will transmit television and radio programming, relay live news reports and sporting events and provide broadband Internet connectivity and corporate communications services.

The Spanish company HISPASAT ordered the satellite to expand its reach into Latin America. HISPAMAR Satellites, a subsidiary based in Rio de Janeiro, is in charge of commercializing Amazonas.

Miguel Angel Panduro, sales and services manager of HISPASAT, said Amazonas will be "an optimal vehicle that, using the most modern technologies available today, will greatly facilitate the development of all present and future audiovisual applications, such as high definition TV and new interactive services."

EADS Astrium of Europe built Amazonas. The spacecraft has a 15-year service life.

This was the year's third commercial Proton rocket mission under the control of International Launch Services. The next flight is scheduled for September 14 when the American AMC 15 satellite is launched for SES Americom.

International Launch Services globally markets Proton and American Atlas rockets. The U.S.-based firm has conducted seven missions this year with its two rocket families.

0007 GMT (8:07 p.m. EDT Wed.)

T+plus 95 minutes. ILS confirms that the second burn of the Breeze M motor has been completed successfully tonight.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2004
2254 GMT (6:54 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 22 minutes, 40 seconds. ILS now says that the Breeze M upper stage has completed its first of five planned firings of today's launch.

The Breeze M upper stage and Amazonas are now in a coast period that will last until T+plus 68 minutes when the stage re-ignites for a 16-minute firing to reach an intermediate orbit of 258 x 5,000 km at 50.3 degrees inclination.

A third burn will begin at T+plus 3 hours, 29 minutes and last for 11 minutes. Following completion of its third burn of the mission, the Breeze M will jettison its emptied Additional Propellant Tank. The stage then restarts at T+plus 3 hour, 42 minutes for a seven-minute burn to achieve an orbit of 395 x 35,820 km at 49.1 degrees.

A fifth and final burn, lasting over seven minutes, will begin at T+plus 8 hours, 52 minutes.

The Amazonas spacecraft will be deployed into a targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit of 3,200 x 35,786 km at 9.1 degrees. Separation of the satellite from the upper stage to complete the launch is expected at T+plus 9 hours, 11 minutes.

We'll update this page when the next information is released from International Launch Services, which is not expected until after 0800 GMT (4:00 a.m. EDT) with confirmation of spacecraft separation.

2251 GMT (6:51 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 19 minutes. This initial firing by the Breeze M should be concluding at this point. The burn was scheduled to last seven-and-a-half minutes.

2248 GMT (6:48 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 16 minutes, 58 seconds. Officials now confirm that the Breeze M upper stage has ignited to achieve a low-altitude parking orbit around Earth.

2247 GMT (6:47 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 15 minutes. No word yet from ILS that the Breeze M has ignited as scheduled more than four minutes ago.

2245 GMT (6:45 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 13 minutes. Still awaiting confirmation from ILS that the Breeze M burn has begun.

2242 GMT (6:42 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 10 minutes, 58 seconds. The Proton's third stage engine has been shut down, followed by jettison of the spent stage. The Breeze M upper stage and attached Amazonas spacecraft are now on a suborbital trajectory in preparation for the first of five planned firings by the upper stage to reach geosynchronous transfer orbit over the next several hours.

2239 GMT (6:39 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 7 minutes, 45 seconds. Third stage engine is firing normally. The Proton is 137 km in altitude and 1,291 km downrange from the launch pad.

2238 GMT (6:38 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes, 30 seconds. The payload fairing enclosing the Amazonas spacecraft atop the rocket has separated. The third stage continues to fire.

2238 GMT (6:38 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes, 15 seconds. The second stage was jettisoned and the Proton third stage has been ignited.

2238 GMT (6:38 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes. Standing by for confirmation of staging. The Proton is 126 km in altitude and 745 km downrange from the launch pad.

2237 GMT (6:37 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 5 minutes, 15 seconds. Coming up on burn out and separation of the second stage.

2236 GMT (6:36 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 4 minutes, 45 seconds. Russian controllers report that the Proton continues to operate properly.

2235 GMT (6:35 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. The rocket remains stable as the second stage continues to fire.

2235 GMT (6:35 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes. The second stage continues to burn normally.

2234 GMT (6:34 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes, 25 seconds. The first stage engines have shut down and the spent stage has separated. The four second stage engines have ignited to continue boosting the vehicle to space.

2233 GMT (6:33 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 90 seconds. There is a half-minute remaining in the first stage burn.

2233 GMT (6:33 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 75 seconds. Vehicle is performing well.

2233 GMT (6:33 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 60 seconds. The vehicle is now approaching the period of maximum dynamic pressure during its climb through the atmosphere.

2232 GMT (6:32 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 30 seconds. All six first stage liquid-fueled engines are running to push the Proton rocket into the early morning sky at Baikonur Cosmodrome.

2232 GMT (6:32 p.m. EDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the 30th commercial ILS Proton rocket mission and the Amazonas communications satellite!

2231 GMT (6:31 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 60 seconds. All systems remain "go" for liftoff for an on-time liftoff.

2227 GMT (6:27 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 5 minutes. The launch readiness of the Proton core vehicle, Breeze M upper stage and Amazonas spacecraft will be verified over the next few minutes in the countdown.

2224 GMT (6:24 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 8 minutes and counting. The Proton rocket weighs about 1.5 million pounds as it sits on the launch pad. The Amazonas spacecraft accounts for about 10,000 pounds of the weight. The Proton's six first stage engines will be ignited at launch to boost the rocket off the ground.

2222 GMT (6:22 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 10 minutes and counting. Today's Proton flight is being managed by International Launch Services. ILS is the firm that sells American Atlas and Russian Proton launches on the commercial market. Since forming in 1995, ILS has performed 29 Proton flights coming into today.

So far in 2004, ILS has carried out six launches including four Atlas missions and two Proton.

2220 GMT (6:20 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 12 minutes and counting. Weather conditions are within limits for today's Proton launch.

2217 GMT (6:17 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 15 minutes and counting. All systems are "go" as the countdown enters the final minutes for the Proton rocket launch of Amazonas.

Today's launch time is 2232 GMT (6:32 p.m. EDT) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is currently 4:17 a.m. local time at the launch site as the countdown continues for the predawn liftoff.

1800 GMT (2:00 p.m. EDT)

The countdown is underway at Baikonur Cosmodrome for today's launch of the Amazonas communications satellite that will provide a link between the Americas and Europe.

Liftoff of the modernized Proton M booster fitted with a Breeze M upper stage carrying the 10,000-pound Amazonas craft is scheduled for 2232 GMT (6:32 p.m. EDT) from the historic launch site in Central Asia.

The lower three stages of the Khrunichev-built Proton will fire during the mission's first 10 minutes, placing the Breeze M upper stage and attached Amazonas satellite on a suborbital trajectory.

The initial firing of the Breeze M is needed to achieve a temporary parking orbit around Earth at an altitude of 108 miles, inclined 51.5 degrees.

Four additional burns by the upper stage will follow in a pre-scripted sequence to reach geosynchronous transfer orbit for release of Amazonas at T+plus 9 hours, 11 minutes, 20 seconds.

The targeted spacecraft separation orbit has an apogee of 22,236 miles, perigee of 1,988 miles and inclination of 9.1 degrees.

Amazonas will rely upon its onboard engine to reach a circular geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above the planet where it can match Earth's rotation and appear fixed along the equator at 61 degrees West longitude.

Built by Europe's EADS Astrium firm, the spacecraft uses the Eurostar E3000 design with a 15-year lifetime. The communications package includes 19 active C-band transponders and 32 active Ku-band transponders.

Amazonas satellite will offer television broadcasting, Internet and broadband services for operators Hispasat and Hispamar. Its coverage zone includes Brazil, North and South America and a transatlantic link for Europe.

The Proton deployment mission is managed by International Launch Services -- the joint venture formed in 1995 between Lockheed Martin, Khrunichev and Energia to market Atlas and Proton rockets worldwide. This will be the 30th Proton launch for ILS and the third in 2004.