Lifting off from Baikonur on June 07, at 06:45 a.m. Moscow Time (09:45:47 Baikonur 03:45:47 UTC/GMT), the Proton-M/Breeze M integrated launch vehicle (ILV) successfully placed the U.S.-made EchoStar ÕÕI communications satellite into the target orbit. This was the 1st Proton flight of 2017 and the 413th mission in its history since 1965. EchoStar XXI is the heaviest commercial geostationary payload ever lofted by a Proton vehicle.

The Proton M Integrated Launch Vehicle (ILV) with the U.S.-made EchoStar XXI communications satellite lifted off at Baikonur Cosmodrome on June 08 at 06:45 Moscow Time (09:45:47 Baikonur 03:45:47 UTC/GMT). This was the 1st Proton mission of 2017.Both the liftoff and the ascent mission proceeded nominally. At the predicted times, the orbital unit (made up of a Breeze M upper stage mated, via an adapter, to the spacecraft) separated from LV Stage 3 to continue independent powered flight.The subsequent phases of satellite injection into the target orbit - a geosynchronous transfer orbit - will be implemented by means of five Breeze M’s main engine burns. The EchoStar XXI/ Breeze M upper stage separation is to occur 09 hours 13 minutes after liftoff.

Processing of Proton-M ILV and EchoStar-21 spacecraft for launch is currently underway at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The spacecraft was manufactured by SSL for the leading global satellite operator EchoStar Corporation (USA). The Proton launch of EchoStar-21 satellite was contracted through International Launch Services Inc. (ILS), a US-Russian subsidiary of Khrunichev.