Posted: Sat, Sep 20, 2008, 9:51 AM ET (1351 GMT)
A Proton rocket successfully launched the Nimiq 4 satellite for a Canadian satellite operator early Saturday. The Proton-M lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:48 pm EDT Friday (2148 GMT Friday, 3:48 am Saturday local time) and released the Nimiq 4 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit a little over nine hours later. The satellite, an EADS Astrium Eurostar E3000, weighed 4,850 kg at liftoff and carries a mix of Ku- and Ka-band transponders. The satellite will operate from 82 degrees west in GEO and will be used by its owner, Telesat, to provide high-definition and other television programming to Canadian customers. The launch is the second mission in just under one month for the Proton; they were the first commercial Proton launches since a March launch failure.

Related Links:

•  RIA Novosti article
•  Itar-Tass article
•  AFP article
•  ILS press release
•  Telesat press release