ILS
Declares Proton Launch Anomaly
March 15
International Launch Services
announced an anomaly during
today's Proton mission with the
AMC-14 satellite.
The Proton Breeze M rocket
lifted off at 5:18 a.m. today
local time from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome, carrying the AMC-14
satellite for SES AMERICOM and
its customer, EchoStar
Corporation. Preliminary flight
information indicates that the
anomaly occurred during the
second burn of the Breeze M
upper stage. The satellite
failed to reach the planned
orbit. The satellite was built
by Lockheed Martin.
A Russian State Commission has
begun the process of determining
the reasons for the anomaly. ILS
will release details when data
become available. In parallel
with the State Commission, ILS
will form its own Failure Review
Oversight Board. The FROB will
review the
commission's final report and
corrective action plan, in
accord with U.S. and Russian
government export control
regulations.