http://www.facebook.com/orbiterfilmmaker Facebook. Advances, pictures, details, comments. Proton-M, GRAU index 8K82M or 8K82KM, is a Russian carrier rocket derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Commercial launches are marketed by International Launch Services (ILS), and generally use Site 200/39. The first Proton-M launch occurred on 7 April 2001. Most Proton-M launches have used a Briz-M upper stage to propel the spacecraft into a higher orbit. The Briz-M upper stage is designed for injecting large payloads into a low, medium-height or high Geosynchronous orbit. The main engine can be restarted 8 times in flight and allows precision placement of the spacecraft into orbit. Orbital lifetime of the Briz-M is limited by available onboard battery power and is currently 24 hours. The total time of the standard Proton/Briz-M mission profile from lift-off to spacecraft separation is approximately 9.3 hours. A Proton launch vehicle with a Briz-M upper stage can also inject payloads to Earth escape trajectories. Liftoff 00hr:00min:00sec Stage I separation 00hr:02min:00sec Stage II separation 00hr:05min:27sec Payload fairing separation 00hr:05min:47sec Stage III separation 00hr:09min:42sec Briz-M firing 1 starts 00hr:11min:16sec Briz-M firing 1 ends 00hr:15min:47sec Parking orbit 173 x 173 km 51.5° Briz-M firing 2 starts 01hr:07min:33sec Briz-M firing 2 ends 01hr:25min:17sec Intermedie orbit 270 x 5000 km 50.3° Briz-M firing 3 starts 03hr:28min:12sec Briz-M firing 3 ends 03hr:39min:42sec Intermedie orbit 354 x 22242 km 49.3° Briz-M jettisons its external tank 03hr:40min:32sec Briz-M firing 4 starts 03hr:41min:59sec Briz-M firing 4 ends 03hr:47min:52sec Transfer orbit 425 x 35799 km 49.1° Briz-M firing 5 starts 08hr:53min:08sec Briz-M firing 5 ends 08hr:59min:24sec Geostationary transfer orbit 9673 x 35789 km 12.7° Spacecraft separation 09hr:12min:00sec Geostacionary orbit 35641 x 35789 km 0°