Proton-M LV takes Inmarsat-5F1 to suborbital flight trajectory
MOSCOW. Dec 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The Proton-M launch vehicle has taken Briz-M upper stage and Inmarsat-5F1 satellite to a suborbital flight trajectory.
"The satellite and upper stage separated from the third stage of the launch vehicle," Interfax-AVN was told at the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).
The satellite is supposed to separate from Briz-M and reach the ultimate orbit at 7:43 a.m.
"After the separation of the satellite and the measurement of the parameters of the ultimate orbit the upper stage will be directed to a safe distance from the satellite," Interfax-AVN was told at the Khrunichev Space Center, the designer and manufacturer of Proton-M launch vehicles and Briz-M upper stages.
The launch was conducted in the interests of Inmarsat PLC (Great Britain) operator of a global satellite communication system.
Proton-M took off from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 4:12 p.m. Moscow time on Sunday.
Inmarsat-5F1 is the first satellite of a new generation. On the basis of a constellation of three identical satellites placed in geostationary orbits and a network of six ground stations Inmarsat expects to develop the Global Xpress mobile satellite communication system. The first satellite will service Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The two other satellites are expected to be launched in the second and fourth quarters of 2014. The GX network should become global at the end of 2014.
In addition to communication services GX network is expected to be used by government agencies in many countries for reporting emergencies, if ground or other communication systems are damaged.
Inmarsat-5F1 has a service life of 15 years. It has takeoff weight of 6,070 kilos.