MOSCOW. July 7
(Interfax-AVN) - The U.S. telecommunications satellite DirecTV-10 has been put
into its destination orbit, spokesman for the Russian Khrunichev space research
and production center Alexander Bobrenev told Interfax on Saturday.
"Five blasts of the Breeze-M
upper stage's cruise engine put the DirecTV-10 spacecraft into its destination
orbit with an altitude of 35,700 kilometers," Bobrenev said.
After the satellite reached its orbit, the
upper stage separated from it and started an avoidance maneuver to prevent its
collision with the spacecraft, Bobrenev said.
The DirecTV-10 is designed
to broadcast digital high definition television (HDTV) programs through cable
and national networks in the continental part of the U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii.
The satellite is constructed on the Boeing 702 platform. Its flying weight is
5,900 kilograms, and its weight in orbit will be 3,700 kilograms.
The DirectTV-10 is the
first Boeing satellite launched on board a Proton rocket and the biggest
spacecraft ever launched on board a Proton-M rocket to such an orbit.
The satellite was
constructed at Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, a Boeing division
headquartered in Seal Beach, California, one of the world leaders in
constructing various types of spacecraft.
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