The Proton rocket has lofted its first commercial satellite since the workhorse was grounded earlier this year following a string of failures. The rocket successfully launched state-owned Russian operator RSCC’s Express-AM6 satellite on 21…
The Proton rocket has lofted its first commercial satellite since the workhorse was grounded earlier this year following a string of failures. The rocket successfully launched state-owned Russian operator RSCC‘s Express-AM6 satellite on 21 October.
Rumours emanating from Russia suggested that the Federal mission had not placed the bird in its intended orbital slot, however insurance sources have told SatelliteFinance that the speculation is wide of the mark.
Had Proton missed its target, the satellite would have had to use its on-board propulsion reserves to relocate itself reducing its operational life, but the people close to the situation said that the orbital injection of the spacecraft was within normal parameters.
In addition, RSCC has not filed a ‘notice of occurrence’ – the first step in what would lead to an insurance claim – the sources said.
In a statement, the Russian satellite operator said it was pleased with the launch and that Express-AM6 would become operational in Q1 2015.
Ingosstrakh provided the launch-plus-one insurance coverage for the satellite, while Willis placed the reinsurance on the international market.
The successful launch should prove to be a fillip to International Launch Services, which markets commercial Proton launch services.
The company is aiming to complete three launches by year-end. Gazprom Space Systems’ Yamal-401 satellite has been pencilled in for an end of November launch, while SES’ Astra-2G spacecraft is likely to follow by mid-December. If these go to plan, the launch of Inmarsat’s next generation I-5 F2 is expected to take place at the end of the year.
Proton missions were halted following the May launch failure of RSCC’s Express-AM4R, the rocket’s fifth failure in less than five years.
Proton’s return to flight in late September, a Federal mission carrying the Luch relay satellite, came after an investigation pinned the failure on an anomaly that had affected its third stage.
The ILS Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) agreed that the probable cause of the failure was the loss of structural integrity of a bolted interface that attached the third stage steering engine turbopump to the main engine structural frame. That helped damage a fuel inlet line to the oxidiser gas generator, which caused a fuel leak that ultimately resulted in the turbopump shutting down prematurely.
