BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the countdown and launch of the Russian Proton rocket carrying the Hot Bird 8 communications satellite. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2006
0722 GMT (3:22 a.m. EDT)

SUCCESS. Eutelsat's Hot Bird 8 communications spacecraft has been successfully deployed by the Breeze M upper stage, capping a 9-hour flight that resumes commercial launches for Russia's Proton rocket fleet after a failure five months ago.

"We appreciate the continued confidence Eutelsat has shown Proton," said International Launch Services President Mark Albrecht. ILS is the joint U.S.-Russian group that markets American Atlas and Russian Proton boosters.

"Today's successful launch was made possible through the exceptional levels of commitment by ILS and Khrunichev to the Proton launch vehicle. Our Hot Bird 8 broadcast satellite is now well on course to its final destination at our prime video neighborhood at 13 degrees East, and we look forward to bringing it into commercial service in October," said Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta.

The 10,748-pound satellite is a Eurostar E3000 model built by EADS Astrium. It carries 64 Ku-band transponders for television and radio broadcasting.

Eutelsat has a fleet of spacecraft positioned in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above the equator at the 13 degrees East longitude slot that beams 950 television channels and 600 radio stations to 110 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Hot Bird 8 is largest satellite yet orbited by the Paris-based operator. The new craft will replace the 20-transponder Hot Bird 3 satellite.

The next commercial Proton flight managed by International Launch Services will carry the second of two new-generation ARABSAT 4 communications spacecraft for the Arab Satellite Communications Organization. The first satellite was lost in the Proton mission failure February 28 when the Breeze M motor experienced a problem during ascent.

Russian investigators blamed an anomaly in the oxidizer supply system that caused the upper stage main engine to shut down prematurely. Telemetry data from the vehicle indicated the most probable cause of the oxidizer supply interruption was a foreign particle that blocked a nozzle of the booster hydraulic pump, the commission said.

The payload was released into a worthless orbit. Controllers later commanded the craft to reenter the atmosphere for disposal.

Friday's successful mission puts the Breeze M back into service, and ILS says the launch went smoothly.

The upcoming ARABSAT launch will be followed later in the year by liftoff of the MEASAT 3 communications satellite for Malaysia aboard another ILS Proton booster.

"ILS is now on track to complete six launches in 2006 - we have seen two each for Proton Breeze M and Atlas 5, and have two more planned for Proton. The Russian government plans a total of three Proton launches this year, so with seven missions Proton remains the workhorse of the industry," Albrecht said.

"Additionally, the Atlas 5 is scheduled to fly with its first U.S. Air Force EELV mission late in the year," Albrecht said. "This complementary mix of 10 government and commercial missions ensure a good launch tempo that benefits all customers."

0248 GMT (10:48 p.m. EDT Fri.)

T+plus 5 hours. The first four firings by the Breeze M rocket motor have been completed tonight, boosting the Hot Bird 8 communications satellite toward the targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit, International Launch Services says. A final burn by the upper stage is a few hours away, followed by release of the payload.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2006
2209 GMT (6:09 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 21 minutes. The Breeze M upper stage and Hot Bird 8 are entering a coast period that will last until T+plus 68 minutes, 20 seconds when the stage re-ignites for a 17-minute firing to reach a 3,107 by 160 mile orbit with an inclination of 50.3 degrees.

The vehicle will coast in that intermediate orbit until an 11.5-minute burn begins at T+plus 3 hours, 29 minutes. A minute after the burn ends, the Breeze M will jettison its emptied Additional Propellant Tank. The stage then re-starts at T+plus 3 hours, 42 minutes for a five-minute burn. This will result in an orbit of 22,259 x 245 miles inclined 49.1 degrees to the equator.

A final burn lasting seven minutes will occur at T+plus 8 hours, 52 minutes to raise the orbit's low point and greatly reduce the orbital inclination.

The Hot Bird 8 spacecraft will be deployed into its targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit with a high point of about 22,236 miles, a low point of approximately 2,361 miles and an inclination of 13 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 as information becomes available later tonight.

2203 GMT (6:03 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 15 minutes. Breeze M first ignition has been confirmed. This burn should last another four minutes.

2200 GMT (6:00 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 12 minutes, 30 seconds. The third stage engine cutoff has occurred and the spent stage separated as expected. The Breeze M upper stage and attached Hot Bird 8 spacecraft were placed 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 nine hours.

The Breeze M should be firing now. However, the rocket is out of range from live tracking coverage. So confirmation of this first burn won't be available in real-time.

2156 GMT (5:56 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 8 minutes, 40 seconds. ILS now confirms that the second stage was jettisoned and the Proton third stage ignited. Also, the payload fairing enclosing the spacecraft atop the rocket separated a little while ago.

2155 GMT (5:55 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 7 minutes. Still waiting on confirmation from ILS.

2153 GMT (5:53 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 5 minutes. Standing by for burnout and separation of the second stage.

2151 GMT (5:51 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes. The second stage engines are firing normally. Combustion chamber pressures in the engines are normal.

2150 GMT (5:50 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes, 20 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.

2149 GMT (5:49 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 90 seconds. The rocket is passing 20 km in altitude.

2149 GMT (5:49 p.m. EDT)

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

2148 GMT (5:48 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 30 seconds. All six liquid-fueled engines on the first stage are firing as the rocket maneuvers to the proper heading for its climb to space.

2148 GMT (5:48 p.m. EDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Proton rocket launching the Hot Bird 8 communications spacecraft!

2146 GMT (5:46 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 2 minutes. The master computer sequencer is in control of the countdown.

2143 GMT (5:43 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 5 minutes. The launch readiness of the Proton core vehicle, Breeze M upper stage and Hot Bird 8 spacecraft is verified over the final minutes in the countdown.

2138 GMT (5:38 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 10 minutes. International Launch Services reports that the countdown is progressing to the planned liftoff time today. Weather conditions are acceptable and there are no technical problems.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2006

Commercial satellite launches aboard Russia's Proton rocket will resume later today, five months after a failure grounded all flights.

International Launch Services plans a 5:48 p.m. EDT (2148 GMT) liftoff for the European Hot Bird 8 broadcasting satellite from Baikonur Cosmodrome. It will take over 9 hours for the Proton and its Breeze M upper stage to propel the Eutelsat spacecraft into the targeted orbit.

The Proton M booster features three core stages that will deliver an upper stage and the payload into an initial suborbital trajectory. Beginning at liftoff, the Proton first stage's six RD-275 powerplants will push the rocket away from Earth with over two million pounds of thrust in the first two minutes of flight.

After first stage separation, four engines aboard the second stage will ignite and fire for three-and-a-half minutes before shutting down and jettisoning. The Proton's third stage will then come to life for its four-minute job, during which the protective payload fairing shielding the precious cargo will be let go after reaching the upper atmosphere.

The first ten minutes of the mission will pave the way for the work by the Breeze M upper stage, which conducts five burns to methodically propel Hot Bird 8 into the desired orbit for deployment. The stage will first reach a parking orbit a little over 100 miles high, before the remaining four steps raise altitude and reduce orbital inclination.

Spacecraft separation at 2:59 a.m. EDT (0659 GMT) after liftoff in a geosynchronous transfer orbit with a high point of about 22,236 miles, a low point of approximately 2,361 miles and an inclination of 13 degrees.

Hot Bird's on-board propulsion system will complete the task of circularizing the orbit to an altitude of 22,300 miles along the Equator, and controllers will later guide the craft into an orbital slot at 13 degrees East longitude.

The 10,748-pound satellite is a Eurostar E3000 model built by EADS Astrium. It carries 64 Ku-band transponders.

Eutelsat of Paris will operate the satellite to beam television and entertainment programming to homes across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Today's rocket flight is managed by International Launch Services, the joint U.S.-Russian group that commercially markets Atlas and Proton boosters.