MOSCOW. Dec 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's Space Forces has told Interfax that a Canadian Nimiq-2 telecommunications satellite was put into geo-transitional orbit by a new Briz-M booster at 9:10 a.m. Moscow time (0610 GMT) on Monday and has been undocked from Russia's platform.
The satellite will subsequently be put into a pre-determined geo-stationary orbit with rocket engines under a program integrated with the satellite's onboard system.
Nimiq-2, at a mass of 3,579 kilograms and with a calculated service life of 15 years, is intended to provide radio and digital TV broadcasting for subscribers across Canada and the U.S. mainland. The satellite's owner is Telesat Corporation (Canada) and the manufacturer is Lockheed Martine Missiles and Space (U.S.).
Both Proton-M and Briz-M were created by the state-owned Khrunichev Space Corporation. Proton-M is an upgraded booster of this class, with new navigational and apex cover systems. Its energy mass and environment characteristics are better than those of its predecessors.
"It was Proton-M's fourth lift off from the Baikonur modifications with satellites intended for various purposes have been launched from Baikonur this year," the press service reported.