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ILS Proton Successfully Launches AMC-9 Satellite

300th Mission Flown by Proton Vehicle

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, June 7, 2003 -- A Proton rocket
successfully placed the AMC-9 satellite into orbit this morning for
Alcatel Space and SES AMERICOM. The launch was conducted by the
U.S.-Russian joint venture International Launch Services (ILS).

This marks the 300th flight of a Proton vehicle, including 38 years
of Russian federal missions and seven years with commercial flights
under the auspices of ILS. Today's mission was the first Proton
rocket launch of the year for ILS.

The vehicle used today was Proton vehicle with a Breeze M upper
stage, which lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 4:15 a.m.
local time (22:15 June 6 GMT, 6:15 p.m. June 6 EDT). After 8 hours
and 55 minutes, the AMC-9 satellite was separated from the Breeze M
and placed into geostationary transfer orbit. Satellite builder
Alcatel Space of Cannes, France, contracted for the launch as a
delivery-in-orbit mission. 

"Once again, Proton demonstrated that it is one of the most reliable
vehicles in the world," ILS President Mark Albrecht said. "It's a
pleasure to provide both Alcatel Space and SES AMERICOM with another
excellent launch."

"I am delighted about the launch of AMC-9, a satellite that is
important to our plans for growth of the AMC fleet," said Dean
Olmstead, president and CEO of SES AMERICOM. "I extend warm
congratulations to the entire team on the occasion of this
picture-perfect launch and achieving the great 300th Proton mission
milestone." 

This also was ILS' 14th launch of a satellite for a member of the SES
GLOBAL family of companies - SES AMERICOM and its predecessor GE
AMERICOM, SES ASTRA and AsiaSat. In addition, ILS is scheduled to
launch three more AMC satellites on either Proton or Atlas rockets in
the 2003-04 time frame, and has recently acquired a fourth, not yet
identified AMC mission. 

This also is the eighth Alcatel Space-built satellite launched by
ILS. AMC-9 is a Spacebus 3000B3 model with 48 transponders. It will
enable SES AMERICOM, an SES GLOBAL company, to expand its digital
television broadcasting, data transmission and telecommunication
service offerings to North America.

ILS is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:LMT) in the
United States, which builds the Atlas rocket; and Russian companies
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and RSC
Energia. Khrunichev produces the Proton vehicles and the Breeze M
upper stage. 

ILS was formed in 1995 to provide launch services to customers
worldwide, including technical, management and marketing expertise.
It offers the broadest range of launch services in the world along
with the highest reliability in the industry.

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Contact: Fran Slimmer, International Launch Services, McLean, Va.;
mobile:1-646-229-4801; fran.slimmer{at}lmco.com.

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