International Launch Services (ILS), a leader in providing mission integration and launch services to the global commercial satellite industry, successfully delivered Telesat's Anik G1 satellite into orbit on an ILS Proton. Telesat is a leading global fixed satellite services operator providing reliable and secure satellite-delivered communications solutions worldwide to broadcast, telecom, corporate and government customers.

The ILS Proton lifted off from Pad 39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 12:36 a.m. today local time (April 15: 6:36 p.m. GMT and 2:36 p.m. EDT). Utilizing the standard 5-burn Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) mission design, the Breeze M successfully released the Anik G1 satellite into orbit after a 9 hour and 13 minute mission.

The satellite was manufactured by Space Systems/Loral (SSL) and built on the highly reliable 1300 platform. Weighing 4.9 metric tons at liftoff, Anik G1 was the 26th SSL satellite launched on an ILS Proton, as well as the 9th Telesat satellite launched by an ILS Proton.

Anik G1 has 24 C-band, 28 Ku-band and 3 X-band transponders that form a 55 transponder, multi-mission satellite. Once in service, Anik G1 will provide direct-to-home (DTH) television service in Canada, as well as broadband, voice, data, and video services in South America where economic growth has driven high demand for satellite capacity.

It will also be the first commercial satellite with substantial X-band coverage for government communications over the Americas and the Pacific Ocean including Hawaii.

Anik G1 will be positioned at 107.3 degrees West longitude where it will be co-located with Telesat's Anik F1 satellite effectively doubling both the C-band and Ku-band transponders serving South America from the 107.3 degrees West orbital location.

The mission was the 385th launch for Proton since its maiden flight in 1965 and the 79th ILS Proton Launch overall. The Proton Breeze M vehicle is developed and built by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center of Moscow, Russia's premier space industry manufacturer and majority shareholder in ILS.

ILS President Phil Slack stated, "We thank Telesat for once again entrusting us with their satellite, their business and for their partnership over 14 years. We also want to express our gratitude for the work of all of the teams involved, including ILS, Khrunichev, Telesat, and SSL. Their efforts ensured a successful mission today."

Telesat's President and CEO, Dan Goldberg remarked, "This is an important new satellite for Telesat and our customers. Anik G1 provides expansion capacity for DTH services over Canada, a new X-band payload for government services, and additional C-band and Ku-band capacity for South America, where demand continues to grow. Telesat would like to thank ILS, SSL and everyone who played a role in making this launch a success."