The designed service life is 15 years or more. The Proton rocket and its Block DM upper stage with the Garuda 1 spacecraft are undergoing final preparations for today's launch. No significant technical problems have been reported. In the past few minutes, the rocket's guidance computer was loaded with its final updates and the auto-sequencer was started to control the countdown to launch. The launch team at Baikonur Cosmodrome's Complex 81 report all activities remain on schedule for today's liftoff.
Weather conditions look good for launch.
We are standing by to get a countdown status update from International Launch Services shortly. Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the Proton rocket's return to flight. There is a lot riding on today's planned launch of a Russian Proton rocket. NASA also will watch the launch closely because the next segment of the International Space Station will be delivered into space atop a Proton in July. On July 5 and October 27, the second stages of Proton boosters malfunctioned, sending the rockets crashing back to Earth.