4 stage vehicle consisting of 1 x 8S810M + 1 x 8S811 + 1 x 8S812M + 1 x Briz-M

Manufacturer: Chelomei. Launches: 14. Success Rate: 100.00%. First Launch Date: 2001-04-07. Last Launch Date: 2007-04-09. Launch data is: continuing. LEO Payload: 21,000 kg (46,000 lb). Payload: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb). to a: geosynchronous transfer orbit trajectory. Apogee: 40,000 km (24,000 mi). Associated Spacecraft: AS 2100, Ekran-M, Spacebus 3000. Total Mass: 712,800 kg (1,571,400 lb). Core Diameter: 7.40 m (24.20 ft). Total Length: 53.00 m (173.00 ft).

2001 April 7 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC81. Launch Pad: LC81/24. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82M. Model: Proton-M/Briz-M. LV Configuration: Proton-M/Briz-M 535-01.

• Ekran-M No. 18 Nation: Russia. Payload: Ekran-M s/n 18L. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Ekran-M. Agency: GPKS. Manufacturer: NPO Prikladnoy Mekhaniki. Perigee: 35,771 km (22,227 mi). Apogee: 35,801 km (22,245 mi). Inclination: 1.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2001-014A. USAF Sat Cat: 26736. Direct Broadcasting satellite. Maiden flight of new version of Proton. Launch delayed from August 2000, March 16 and April 6. Ekran-M No. 18 was a UHF television broadcasting satellite which was to be stationed at 99 deg E to provided television service to the Russian Far East. The satellite had a launch mass of around 2100 kg and was to replace the recently failed Ekran-M 15 that had been operating since October 1992 at the 105 deg-E longitude orbital slot.

  The improved 3-stage Proton launch vehicle, with a new digital flight control system and enhanced first stage engines, delivered its payload section to a suborbital trajectory at 0356 GMT. The Briz-M upper stage then fired to enter a 200 km parking orbit. It appears that only two more burns were used to reach geostationary orbit: one at around 0440 GMT to enter a 200 x 35800 km GTO, after which the Briz-M toroidal drop tank was jettisoned, and one at around 1000 GMT, to circularize the orbit at geostationary altitude. Briz-M reportedly separated from its payload at 1031 GMT. Ekran was expected to reach its 99 deg E final location on around April 24. As of 5 September 2001 located at 99.27 deg E drifting at 0.009 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 99.30E drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.References: 4, 552, 554.

• Nimiq 2 Nation: Canada. Mass: 3,600 kg (7,900 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: AS 2100. Agency: Télésat Canada. Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Commercial Space. Perigee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Apogee: 35,796 km (22,242 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.30 min. COSPAR: 2002-062A. USAF Sat Cat: 27632. Payload moved from Atlas 5. Direct broadcast satellite. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 82.05W drifting at 0.004W degrees per day. References: 4, 552, 554.

• W3A Nation: Europe. Program: Eutelsat. Payload: Eurostar 3000S. Mass: 4,250 kg (9,360 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Spacebus 3000. Agency: Eutelsat. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Perigee: 35,761 km (22,220 mi). Apogee: 35,811 km (22,251 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2004-008A. USAF Sat Cat: 28187. Moved from Ariane 5. The satellite was to provide a full range of telecommunications applications including digital DVB broadcasting, multimedia, broadband access and pay-per-use bandwidth for corporate networks over a large zone covering Europe and Africa, for a minimum of 12 years. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 6.95E drifting at 0.006W degrees per day.References: 552, 554.

• Intelsat 10-02 Nation: USA. Program: Intelsat. Payload: Eurostar 3000H. Mass: 5,575 kg (12,290 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Spacebus 3000. Agency: Intelsat. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Perigee: 35,771 km (22,227 mi). Apogee: 35,803 km (22,246 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2004-022A. USAF Sat Cat: 28358. Heaviest single payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit to that date. Delayed from late 2003, June 10 and 15, 2004. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 0.99W drifting at 0.002W degrees per day.

• Amazonas Nation: Spain. Program: Hispasat. Payload: Eurostar 3000S. Mass: 4,545 kg (10,020 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Spacebus 3000. Agency: Hispasat. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Perigee: 35,773 km (22,228 mi). Apogee: 35,801 km (22,245 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. COSPAR: 2004-031A. USAF Sat Cat: 28393. Delayed from June, July 25. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 61.03W drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.

• AMC- 15 Nation: USA. Program: Americom. Mass: 4,021 kg (8,864 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: AS 2100. Agency: SES Americom. Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Commercial Space. Perigee: 35,782 km (22,233 mi). Apogee: 35,790 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2004-041A. USAF Sat Cat: 28446. Communications satellite for SES Americom, equipped with Ku-band and Ka-band transponders. The Briz-M upper stage made three burns, then released the satellite on October 15 at 03:58 GMT into a 7132 x 35780 km x 18.6 deg orbit. AMC-15's on-board engine would be used to maneuver the spacecraft into its final geostationary orbit. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 105.02W drifting at 0.003W degrees per day.References: 4.

• AMC-12 Nation: USA. Program: Americom. Mass: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Spacebus 4000. Agency: SES Americom. Manufacturer: Alcatel. Perigee: 35,782 km (22,233 mi). Apogee: 35,791 km (22,239 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2005-003A. USAF Sat Cat: 28526. Americom 12 satellite, also known as Worldsat 2. The first Alcatel Spacebus 4000 satellite to be launched.

• DirecTV-8 Nation: USA. Program: DirecTV. Mass: 3,711 kg (8,181 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: FS-1300. Agency: DirecTV. Manufacturer: Space Systems/Loral. Perigee: 35,711 km (22,189 mi). Apogee: 35,842 km (22,271 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,435.60 min. COSPAR: 2005-019A. USAF Sat Cat: 28659. Provided United States direct-television broadcast coverage from the 101 degrees West longitude orbital slot. The satellite carried 16 high-power transponders for high-quality national digital video services. Purchased in October 2003 together with DirecTV-9S for a total price of $220 million for both. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 100.77W drifting at 0.002W degrees per day.

• Anik F1-R Nation: Canada. Payload: Eurostar 3000S. Mass: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. Agency: Télésat Canada. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Perigee: 35,778 km (22,231 mi). Apogee: 35,794 km (22,241 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2005-036A. USAF Sat Cat: 28868. Moved up from October, delayed from August 9, moved up from September 15 . Telesat Canada communications satellite operating in C- and Ku-band. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 107.32W drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.

• AMC-23 Nation: USA. Program: Americom. Payload: AMC-13, GE-3i, WorldSat 3. Mass: 4,981 kg (10,981 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Spacebus 4000. Agency: SES Americom. Manufacturer: Alcatel Alenia Space. Perigee: 35,773 km (22,228 mi). Apogee: 35,801 km (22,245 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2005-052A. USAF Sat Cat: 28924. Delayed from November, December 1 and 6. AMC-23 was to provide Ku-band multimedia and telecommunications services to Pacific rim countries over a planned 16 year life. A C-band payload was partly leased to the Japanese JSAT system. The Briz-M upper stage separated from the three-stage Proton launch vehicle at suborbital velocity, then conducted five engine burns before delivering the satellite to a 6193 km x 35,615 km x 18.5 deg geosynchronous transfer orbit at 11:48 GMT. The satellite would use its own Astrium S400 apogee engine to circularize the orbit at geostationary altitude. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 171.97E drifting at 0.002W degrees per day.

• Arabsat 4 Nation: Arab States. Payload: ES-2000+. Mass: 3,341 kg (7,365 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Eurostar 2000. Agency: Arabsat. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Perigee: 497 km (308 mi). Apogee: 14,684 km (9,124 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 273.80 min. COSPAR: 2006-006A. USAF Sat Cat: 28943. Decay Date: 2006-03-24. The satellite seperated from the stage but the mission could not be rescued. It was ordered to fire its apogee engine around 00:20 GMT on March 24 to lower its perigee into the atmosphere. It reportedly burned up over the South Pacific at 02:07 GMT.

• Hot Bird 8 Nation: Europe. Program: Eutelsat. Mass: 4,875 kg (10,747 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. Agency: Eutelsat. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Perigee: 35,755 km (22,217 mi). Apogee: 35,817 km (22,255 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2006-032A. USAF Sat Cat: 29270. Ku-band communications direct broadcast satellite to supplement Eutelsat constellation of Hot Birds. As of 2007 Mar 4 located at 13.03E drifting at 0.010E degrees per day.

• Badr 4 ARABSAT 4B Nation: Arab States. Mass: 3,280 kg (7,230 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Eurostar 2000. Agency: Arabsat. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Perigee: 35,764 km (22,222 mi). Apogee: 35,807 km (22,249 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.00 min. COSPAR: 2006-051A. USAF Sat Cat: 29526. Dry mass 1487 kg. The satellite provided Ku-band communications services for Arab League countries. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 26.06E drifting at 0.011E degrees per day.

• Measat 3 Nation: Malaysia. Program: Measat. Mass: 4,900 kg (10,800 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: HS 601. Agency: Binarian. Perigee: 35,782 km (22,233 mi). Apogee: 35,792 km (22,240 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2006-056A. USAF Sat Cat: 29648. Malaysian communications satellite, to be stationed at 91.5° East together with Measat 1, covering South Asia, Malaysia and Indonesia, and supplementing Measats 1 and 2 launched ten years earlier. The Proton booster released the satellite in a 416 x 35807 x 49.1 deg geosynchronous transfer orbit. The Boeing 601HP 3 axis stabilized spacecraft, had a design lifetime of 15 years. C-band 24 active transponders using 65-watt TWTAs; Ku-band 24 active transponders using 120-watt TWTAs . End of life power of 9.8 kW provided by two solar wings, each with 4 panels of triple-junction gallium arsenide solar cells. A 445N liquid apogee motor circularised the spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit, and 12 x 10 N bipropellant thrusters provided stabilization and stationkeeping. Length in orbit with solar panels deployed 26.2 m; width, with antennas deployed, 7.7 m; stowed diameter 3.8 m. Mass in geostationary orbit after apogee motor maneuver at beginning of life 3220 kg. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 91.49E drifting at 0.012W degrees per day.

• Anik F3 Nation: Canada. Class: Communications. Agency: Telesat Canada. Manufacturer: Astrium. Perigee: 35,781 km (22,233 mi). Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min. COSPAR: 2007-009A. USAF Sat Cat: 31102. Communications satellite with C, Ku and Ka band transponders.

• DirecTV-10 Nation: USA. Program: DirecTV. Mass: 5,893 kg (12,991 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: HS 702. Agency: DirecTV. Manufacturer: Boeing. Perigee: 4,921 km (3,057 mi). Apogee: 36,526 km (22,696 mi). Inclination: 21.30 deg. Period: 740.00 min. COSPAR: 2007-032A. USAF Sat Cat: 31862. First launch of a pair of satellites, DirecTV 10 and 11, that will beam HDTV programs to 500 local markets from the company's primary orbital slot at 101 degrees west longitude. Acquisition and launch cost of $300 million per satellite; one ground spare also built.

• JCSAT 11 Nation: USA. Mass: 4,007 kg (8,833 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: AS 2100. COSPAR: F20070905.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.