ILS Postpones SES-5 Launch
By Jeffrey Hill | June 20, 2012
[Satellite TODAY 06-20-12] International Launch Services (ILS) has postponed the Proton rocket launch of the SES-5 satellite, the company confirmed June 19.
ILS said it informed the satellite’s operator SES that Khrunichev engineers had discovered technical issues related to the Proton launch vehicle on June 18.
“Engineers at the launch site received an out of tolerance telemetry reading on a first stage subsystem during pre-flight testing. However, based on additional pre-flight testing performed on June 19, it was determined that further investigation is necessary, requiring the launch vehicle be returned to the processing hall for additional testing,” ILS said in a company statement.
The launch date will be determined at a later time. The Proton rocket and SES-5 satellite remain in a safe configuration at the launch site.