Posted: Thu, Nov 10, 2005, 7:13 AM ET (1213 GMT)
International Launch Services announced Wednesday that it has won a contract to launch a Norwegian communications satellite on a Proton. ILS will use a Proton M booster to launch the Thor 2R satellite in late 2007, the company announced. Thor 2R will be built by Orbital Sciences Corporation for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting; the 2,450-kg satellite will provide telecommunications services, including direct-to-home TV, to portions of Europe and the Middle East. Telenor reportedly elected to launch the small satellite on a dedicated Proton rather than sharing an Ariane 5 launch with another customer — as has been the case with similar satellites in the past — in order to get the satellite closer to its final orbit and thus extend its lifetime.

Related Links:

•  ILS press release