ILS Soyuz rocket launched from Baikonour site in Kazachstan.

ILS Soyuz rocket launched from Baikonour site in Kazachstan

Launch Operator ILS is operating the Soyuz rocket from the Baikonour launch site in Kazachstan.

International Launch Services (ILS) is providing launch services for global satellite operators and offers a complete array of services and support, from contract signing through mission management and on-orbit delivery. ILS has exclusive rights to market Proton launch services for commercial and civil satellite programs worldwide. ILS markets also the Angara 1.2 rocket for launch services to global commercial and governmental customers for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

ILS was founded in 1995 and is a subsidiary of Khrunichev State Research & Production Space Center (Khrunichev) is headquartered in Reston, VA, near Washington, D.C. comprised of about 30 professionals and provides sales, marketing, mission management, launch operations, legal, licensing, and technical translation services.

ILS was formed in 1995 as a private spaceflight partnership between Lockheed Martin, Khrunichev and RSC Energia. ILS initially co-marketed non-military launches on both the US Atlas and the Russian Proton launch vehicles.

With the Atlas V launch of the SES-1KR satellite for satellite operator SES on April 20, 2006, ILS had made 100 launches, 97 of which were successful.

In September 2006, Lockheed Martin announced its intention to sell its ownership interests in Lockheed Khrunichev Energia International, Inc. (LKEI) and ILS International Launch Services, Inc. (ILS) to Space Transport Inc. that was formed specifically for this transaction by Mario Lemme.

Two launch pads are available for commercial Proton missions. Launch vehicle and spacecraft time on pad is five days.

The spacecraft is transported to the Baikonur Cosmodrome by air and is offloaded at the on-site Yubileiny Airfield. It is then transported to the state-of-the-art processing facility in Area 92 for testing, fueling, mating to the Breeze M Upper Stage and encapsulation with the payload fairing.