23:37 GMT (7:37 pm EDT): End of the Breeze M first burn. The AMC-14-Breeze M combination is now in a parking orbit. Two more burns of the Breeze M are now required until satellite seperation in 6 hours and 37 minutes.
23:29 GMT (7:29 pm EDT): First firing of the Breeze M upper stage.
23:27 GMT (7:27 pm EDT): Successful shutdown of the third stage. The primary launch phase of the Proton is concluded. The satellite is now in a suborbital trajectory together with the Breeze M fourth stage, that will fire several times over the next 7 hours to achieve the correct orbit.
23:24 GMT (7:24 pm EDT): The payload fairing has been jettisoned.
23:24 GMT (7:24 pm EDT): Shutdown of the second stage and ignition of the third stage after 331 seconds of flight.
23:20 GMT (7:20 pm EDT): First stage shutdown and stage seperation. Successful ignition of the second stage. The rocket passed 40 kilometers altitude.
23:19 GMT (7:19 pm EDT): The Proton passed the maximum dynamic pressure, Max-Q.
23:18 GMT (7:18 pm EDT): Liftoff of the Proton M rocket with the AMC-14 satellite.
23:13 GMT (7:13 pm EDT): 5 minutes remaining on the countdown. Start of the synchronized launch sequence. Launch control is switched to computers and power is transferring to internal sources.
23:08 GMT (7:08 pm EDT): 10 minutes until launch. Everything looks good so far.
18:18 GMT (2:18 pm EDT): We are 5 hours away from the launch of the telecommunications satellite AMC-14 on an International Launch Services’ Proton M rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The final countdown activities commenced.
The weather report looks good so far, winds are calm.
March 14, 2008
March 13, 2008: The Proton M rocket stands ready on the launch pad for the launch tomorrow. It will be the second flight for ILS in 2008.
Background:
The Proton Breeze M launch vehicle, utilizing a 3-burn Breeze M mission design, will lift off from Pad 39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, with the AMC-14 satellite on board. The first three stages of the Proton will use a standard ascent trajectory to place the Breeze M fourth stage and the AMC-14 satellite into a sub-orbital trajectory, from which the Breeze M will place itself and the spacecraft into a circular parking orbit. Once AMC-14 is in the parking orbit, it will be propelled into its transfer orbit by a series of additional burns of the Breeze M. Separation occurs approximately 6 hours, 56 minutes after liftoff.
AMC-14 is a telecommunications satellite for SES AMERICOM, United States. It is manufactured by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems based on the A2100 platform featuring 32 Ku-band transponders. It weighs approximately 4,140 kilograms at liftoff and will deliver various telecommunications services to the United States for at least 15 years.
The liftoff is scheduled for 23:18 GMT (7:18 pm EDT) on March 14, 2008.
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