Financial terms were not disclosed.

The mission is planned for late 2007 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This is ILS' first launch contract for an Orbital satellite. It also is the ninth award of the year for International Launch Services. Both companies are based in suburbs of Washington, D.C.

ILS in McLean, Va., and Orbital in Dulles, Va. Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, which will operate the spacecraft, is based in Oslo, Norway, and serves the Nordic countries, Europe and the Middle East.

"We thank Telenor and Orbital for choosing Proton for this important delivery-in-orbit mission," said ILS President Mark Albrecht. "As this is the first time for all of us to be working together, I appreciate the confidence of both organizations in the Proton Breeze M vehicle."

Ali Atia, president of Orbital Communications International, said, "Having a dedicated vehicle with the capability and reliability of Proton ensures we have the best value in launch services for this mission."

Cato Halsaa, managing director of Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, said: "We chose the ILS Proton because it has the demonstrated reliability and launch tempo that Telenor established as criteria for the Thor II-R program."

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
International Launch Services
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
The latest information about the Commercial Satellite Industry