ILS Proton Successfully Launches AsiaSat 5 Satellite

A new AsiaSat 5 satellite was successfully launched into orbit on an ILS Proton from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on behalf of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) of Hong Kong.

Built by Space Systems/Loral, AsiaSat 5 will replace AsiaSat 2 at the orbital location of 100.5 degrees East. This new satellite with an enhanced pan Asian C-band footprint and high-power Ku-band beams over East Asia, South Asia, and an in-orbit steerable Ku beam, will provide advanced satellite services including television broadcast, telephone networks and VSAT networks for broadband multimedia services across the Asia Pacific. The satellite is based on the Space Systems/Loral 1300 platform, designed for a lifespan of 15 years. http://www.ilslaunch.com