The Khrunichev majority-owned commercial launch provider International Launch Services (ILS) has announced on 28 March that it has been awarded a contract for two launches by the commercial communications satellite operator Intelsat for the launch of two of its planned spacecraft. The spacecraft, which will be launched on Russian Khrunichev-built Proton M/Breeze M launch vehicles have, as yet, not been named.
The move is seen by industry observers as a vote of confidence in the ILS and Khrunichev Proton operation after its reputation was tarnished by recent launch failures. However ILS conducted a successful return to flight launch on 27 March which successfully put the commercial communications satellite Satmex 8 into the correct orbit
