International Launch Services (ILS) and Eutelsat have announced the signing of two launch contracts for the 2018-2020 period. ILS is a Khrunichev Space Center subsidiary, which provides Proton-based launch services for global international commercial satellite operators, and Eutelsat Communications is one of the world’s leading operators of satellite communications, headquartered in Paris, France.
The first contract envisages the use of heavy-lift Proton-M / Breeze-M to orbit a dual payload including the Eutelsat 5 West B communications satellite built by Orbital ATK (USA) plus the MEV-1 spacecraft as co-passenger. MEV-1 (Mission Extension Vehicle) is the initial spacecraft under the program to extend service life of satellites in orbit. The launch is scheduled for the last quarter of 2018.
This is the first contract for a shared launch concluded between ILS and Eutelsat. Proton-M shared launches are one of the most interesting recent results of adapting the launch vehicle to customer requirements and cutting costs of launch services. Since February 2009, there have been six shared launches of Proton-M for both federal and commercial customers.
The second contract involves the launch of a payload for Eutelsat in the 2019-2020 timeframe. For this launch it is planned for the first time to use Proton Medium.
In September Khrunichev announced the extension of its product line by two additional modifications of Proton-M (with Breeze-M upper stage) – the light- and medium-lift ones. The new LVs are optimized two-stage versions of Proton-M, intended exclusively for commercial payloads under contracts to be concluded by ILS. Commissioning of the Proton Light and Proton Medium will ensure cost-effective GEO injection of small and medium-sized satellites (3 to 5MT) in accordance with the requirements of customers, bolstering the Proton sales potential in the GEO market.
Both launches will be performed from the Baikonur Cosmodrome under the multi-launch agreement (MLA) between ILS and Eutelsat, concluded in October last year. The MLA is designed to ensure schedule flexibility for Eutelsat to perform cost-effective launches for a seven-year period. The first to be launched under the MLA was the Eutelsat-9B satellite (January 30, 2016). Eutelsat-9B was the 11th spacecraft, launched in the past 15 years for Eutelsat on the Proton pursuant to the ILS contracts. (Russian Aviation/Business World Magazine)
