spacetoday.net: ILS wins Malaysian launch contract

Posted: Fri, Sep 5, 2003, 10:52 AM ET (1452 GMT)
Proton launch of AMC-9 (ILS)

International Launch Services (ILS) announced Friday that it has won a contract to launch a Malaysian communications satellite in 2005. ILS said that a Proton M booster will launch the MEASAT-3 satellite for Binariang Satellite Systems in 2005. Binariang awarded Boeing a contract for the satellite, a Boeing 601 model, earlier this year. ILS did not divulge the value of the launch contract, however, Binariang indicated in a filing with Malaysian regulators that it will pay $48.7 million for the launch, substantially below previous public estimates for Proton launch costs. The filings also indicated that the launch would take place between May and November of 2005.