Russian Proton rocket launched an American satellite into orbit

The Russian Proton launch vehicle was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in order to launch the American telecommunications satellite Sirius XM-5 into a predetermined orbit. At about 08.05 Moscow time, the satellite successfully separated from the upper stage and was transferred to the control of the Americans, Interfax reports with reference to the head of the press service of the Khrunichev Space Center, Alexander Bobrenev.

Starting weight Sirius XM-5 - 5983 kg. Its purpose is to transmit data to mobile devices and enhance the broadcast of hundreds of entertainment channels for 20 million users in the US, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The customer of the satellite is the satellite broadcasting operator SIRIUS XM Radio, manufactured by Space Systems/Loral.

Customers expect the satellite to last approximately 15 years.

The next launch of the Proton is scheduled for November 14. The rocket will launch the SkyTerra 1 satellite using the Breeze-M upper stage. Then, on December 5, the rocket will fly with the DM-03 upper stage and three GLONASS-M navigation satellites, and on December 22 with the Breeze-M unit and the European KA-SAT satellite.

"Breeze" is a family of Russian upper stages used as part of a light and heavy class launch vehicle. Developed at the Khrunichev State Space Research and Production Center. The unit provides payload launch into low, medium, high orbits and geostationary. The use of the Breeze-M upper stage together with the Proton-M rocket makes it possible to increase the mass of the payload launched into geostationary orbit up to 3.0-3.3 tons.

The first successful launch was in 2000.