Telesat Nimiq 5 Launches Aboard Russian Proton Breeze M Rocket

Telesat saw its Nimiq 5 satellite launched today from pad 39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Proton Breeze M rocket. Nimiq 5 is a commercial communications satellite built by Space Systems/Loral for Telesat. Nimiq 5 will utilize 32 high-powered Ku-band transponders to deliver high definition and direct-to-home television services for EchoStar and the Dish Network in the United States.

The Proton Breeze M launched at 12:19 PDT; 15:19 EDT and after a 9 hour 15 minute mission, the Breeze M successfully released the Nimiq 5 satellite, weighing almost 5 tons, into geostationary transfer orbit. This was the 348th launch for the Proton.
Telesat’s 19th satellite will occupy an orbital position at 72.7 degrees west longitude and is expected to have a lifespan of more than 15 years.
Bell TV was to have had 50% of the capacity of Nimiq 5 but Telesat announced today EchoStar would be making full use of the satellite.