A Proton Breeze M rocket rose from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to orbit a Ciel 2 satellite, International Launch Services (ILS) announced.

The bird was launched for the Ciel Satellite Group of Canada.

That Proton carried the 5 1/2-ton satellite for 9 hours and 12 minutes, releasing it into geosynchronous transfer orbit.

Ciel 2 is a Spacebus 4000 model built by Thales Alenia Space. The satellite will ultimately be moved to 129 degrees West longitude, where it will deliver digital television services to Canada and the contiguous United States.

"Now that the spacecraft has delivered an initial signal, Ciel, our founders, investors, and our customer, Dish Network, can look forward to Ciel II’s operation early next year," Brian Neill, Ciel chairman, said.

The launch involved SES Americom, Thales Alenia Space, SES Engineering, and ILS. From beginning to end, the mission took 33 months.

This was the sixth launch of the year, and 49th overall, for ILS. It is the 340th launch for the Proton system since its inception. The Proton Breeze M vehicle is built by Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow.

ILS has exclusive rights to market the Proton. ILS is a U.S. company located in Reston, Va. The majority owner is Khrunichev Space Center, manufacturer of the Proton system.