Space Science Now: Roscosmos launch of Proton-M and KA-SAT telecommunication satellite Dec 27 2010 at 00:51 Moscow time

Integrated Launch Vehicle (ILV)
Proton-M/Breeze M/KA-SAT
on Launch pad
Image Credit: Khrunichev

Roscosmos will launch Proton-M with Breeze M upper stage and Eutelsat's KA-SAT spacecraft Dec 27, 2010 at 00:51 Moscow time from launch complex 200 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. TsENKI provides live TV and Internet broadcasts of space launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch will be televised on the internet at http://www.tsenki.com/broadcast/
Moscow Standard Time (MSK) is 3 hours ahead of UTC, or UTC+3. Launch time is Dec 26, 2010 21:51 UT.
Integrated Launch Vehicle (ILV) = Proton-M with Breeze M upper stage and KA-SAT

KA-SAT deployed

KA-SAT is a high-capacity Ka-band multi-beam satellite owned by European Telecommunications Satellite Organization (Eutelsat) configured with over 80 spotbeams. Spot beams draw smaller cells on the ground (beam footprint) and more efficiently use satellite transmission power. KA-SAT will be parked in geo-synchronous obit at at 13° E (some references say 9 deg East) near three Eutelsat HOT BIRD Ku-band broadcasting satellites. KA-SAT was built by Astrium on the Eurostar E3000 platform and has a 15 year life expectancy. KA-SAT is the first European satellite that will operate exclusively in high capacity Ka-band frequencies. With its High Throughput of 70 Gbps, KA-SAT is ranked as the world's most powerful satellite. It will provide satellite-delivered broadband and data services across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin.

Spot Beam Earth Coverage over Europe with KA-SAT

Ka-band:

Downlink 27.5 GHz - 30.0 GHz
Uplink 17.7 GHz to 20.2 GHz

Proton-M Booster Rocket

Proton M Rocket Booster

Overall height 42.3 m (138.8 ft).
Three stages
Built by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
http://www.khrunichev.com/
A Proton M/Breeze M stack was first launched on April 7, 2001

First stage

Length 21 m
Diameter 7.4 m
Six RD-276 engines
Thrust 11.0 MN (2,500,000 lbf).
central fuel tank containing the nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) oxidizer surrounded by six outboard fuel tanks containing Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) hypergolic fuel
http://www.khrunichev.com/main.php?id=42

Second stage

Diameter 4.1 m (13.5 ft)
Length 14 m
Three RD-0210 engines plus one RD-0211 engine
Thrust 2.4 MN (540,000 lbf).

Third stage

Diameter 4.1 m (13.5 ft)
Length 2.61 m
RD-0213 engine
Thrust 583 kN (131,000 lbf)
Contains guidance, navigation, and digital control system

Breeze-M upper stage

Max. lift-off mass 22,500 (kg)
14D30 liquid propellant engine (main)/1 ea./2000 kgf
11D458 liquid propellant engines (vernier)/4 ea./40 kgf
17D58E engines (attitude control and stabilization)/12 ea./ 1.36 kgf
Payload
http://www.khrunichev.com/main.php?id=49

Launch Sequence

The first three stages of the Proton-M use a standard ascent profile to place the Breeze M upper stage with KA-SAT into a sub-orbital trajectory. Breeze M maneuvers the orbital unit to a circular parking orbit, then to an intermediate orbit, followed by a transfer orbit, and finally to a geostationary orbit.