* Astronomy

ILS Proton Successfully Launches the SES-3 Satellite for SES

International Launch Services (ILS), a leading launch services provider for the global commercial satellite industry, successfully carried the SES-3 satellite into geostationary transfer orbit for SES of Luxembourg (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), one of the world's largest telecommunications satellite operators with a fleet of 45 satellites in orbit.  This was the first commercial shared launch for ILS; the SES-3 satellite was paired with the KazSat-2 satellite to serve the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The ILS Proton Breeze M launched from Pad 39 at the Cosmodrome at 5:16 a.m. today local time (7:16 p.m. EDT, 11:16 GMT on July 15, 1:16 a.m CET on July 16).  After an 8-hour, 1-minute mission, the Breeze M successfully released the SES-3 satellite directly into geostationary transfer orbit. The KazSat-2 satellite, built by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (Khrunichev), was delivered directly into geosynchronous orbit after a 9-hour, 24-minute mission.
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July 15, 2316 UTC (7:16 pm EDT) - Proton Breeze M carrying SES-3 & Kazsat-2