A Gorizont 45 communications satellite reached orbit today after a flawless launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Gorizont separated from its Breeze upper stage at 7:58 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (11:58 GMT; 3:58 p.m. Moscow Time) within 15 seconds after the scheduled separation time. The satellite will be positioned about 22.370 miles (36,000 kilometers) over the equator, 145 degrees east longitude.
The Breeze M upper stage was expected to fire its engine for about one minute at 10:37 a.m. EDT (14:37 GMT; 6:37 p.m. Moscow Time) today. The deorbiting maneuver would be the fifth and last during this mission.
Crucial mission
The maneuver concludes a crucial mission for the Proton rocket, which took off at 10:58 p.m. EDT on Monday (Tuesday, 02:58 GMT; 6:58 a.m. Moscow Time). The launch tested modified engines for the first time on the second and the third stages of the Proton booster. Rosaviacosmos ordered urgent development of the engines in the wake of two Proton crashes last year. Flaws in the manufacturing process of the second stage engines were blamed for both crashes.
The improved engines employ better heat-resistant alloys and additional filters on the engines' propellant lines.
A second launch of a modified Proton is expected this month. This is necessary to validate it before the same type of Proton carries the Zvezda service module -- the critical element of the International Space Station -- into orbit this July.
Rocket problems
The launch of the module had been set back about seven months by Proton's problems. Since their return to flight in February, Proton vehicles, equipped with standard engines, have completed three successful launches.
Today's launch also successfully tested the Breeze upper stage. This promises to improve the Proton rocket's performance in delivering payloads into high-altitude orbits. The original attempt to test the stage was unsuccessful when the rocket that carried it exploded shortly after the launch last July.
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