An Atlas III rocket lifted off at 8:47 p.m. EDT today and
successfully delivered its AsiaSat 4 satellite payload into space,
kicking off a busy year for International Launch Services (ILS).

The Lockheed Martin-built rocket carried the high-power,
multimedia satellite for 31 minutes before releasing it into
geosynchronous transfer orbit. AsiaSat, which is the dominant
satellite operator in the region, will use the spacecraft to provide
communications, direct-to-home and broadband services to customers in
Asia and Australia. The final operating position for the Boeing
Satellite Systems-built 601 model spacecraft is 122 degrees East
longitude.

“We’re off to a great start, with another perfect launch for
Atlas,” said ILS President Mark Albrecht. “This makes 64 successful
launches in a row for Atlas over a decade, a tribute to the dedication
to the team. We know our customers value reliability, and we’re proud
to have delivered that reliability to AsiaSat.”

Albrecht added that ILS could conduct as many as 10 launches this
year on its full range of Atlas and Proton vehicles, depending on
deliveries of the satellites. ILS is a joint venture of Lockheed
Martin Corp. and two Russian companies, Khrunichev State
Research and Production Space Center and RSC Energia. ILS markets and
manages the missions for the Atlas IIAS, Atlas III and Atlas V
families and the Russian Proton launch vehicles.

This mission marks ILS’ third launch for AsiaSat and the 13th
launch of a satellite for a member of the SES GLOBAL family of
companies – AsiaSat, SES ASTRA and SES AMERICOM (or its predecessor GE
AMERICOM). In addition, ILS is scheduled to launch four more
satellites for SES AMERICOM in the next few years. SES ASTRA was the
first commercial customer on Proton, and has used Proton six times.

ILS offers the broadest range of launch services in the world
along with products with the highest reliability in the industry. ILS’
Atlas rockets and their Centaur upper stages are built by Lockheed
Martin Space Systems Co. – Space & Strategic Missiles Operations, at
facilities in Denver, Colo.; Harlingen, Texas; and San Diego, Calif.

For more information, visit www.ilslaunch.com.