International Launch Services

What International Launch Services does

International Launch Services (ILS) is a US-incorporated, privately held commercial launch services provider headquartered in Reston, Virginia, founded in 1995 as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin, Khrunichev, and RSC Energia. The company markets and manages the commercial sale of Russian-manufactured launch vehicles — primarily the Proton Breeze M heavy-lift vehicle (capable of delivering approximately 6.27 metric tons to GTO using a five-burn Breeze M upper stage) and the Angara 1.2 medium-lift vehicle (3 metric tons to LEO, 3.5 metric tons to SSO) — both built by majority shareholder Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. ILS is not the manufacturer; it acts as the exclusive global commercial channel, providing mission integration, scheduling, launch coordination, and post-flight support from contract signing through on-orbit delivery, with launches conducted from Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakhstan) and Plesetsk Cosmodrome (Russia).

ILS generates revenue on a transaction-fee basis, earning a margin on each commercial launch it brokers rather than owning the launch vehicles or infrastructure. Its customer base is concentrated among global commercial satellite operators (Eutelsat, SES, Intelsat, Inmarsat), satellite manufacturers and servicing providers (Northrop Grumman, SpaceLogistics), and government customers (KARI, Russian Government). The company has executed 97 commercial Proton missions with a 100% mission success rate over the seven years preceding 2023. As of January 2023, the company underwent leadership transition and business restructuring in response to geopolitical constraints, with management signaling intent to preserve readiness for re-engagement of Western commercial demand when conditions allow.

Name

International Launch Services

Legal name

International Launch Services, Inc.

Website

https://ilslaunch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

International Launch Services is a US-based, Khrunichev-owned commercial broker that markets Russian Proton and Angara launch vehicles to global satellite operators and government agencies, providing full mission management from contract through on-orbit delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Launch Services

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets (IMABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE)

Keywords

• Commercial launch services
• Satellite launch services
• Heavy-lift launch vehicles
• Orbital delivery services
• Mission management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Reston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Launch Services: ILS generates revenue through providing launch services for satellite operators, offering complete services from contract management through mission management and on-orbit delivery. Revenue is transaction-based, generated from each satellite launch mission.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

International Launch Services provides commercial launch services for global satellite operators and governments using Russian-manufactured Proton Breeze M and Angara 1.2 launch vehicles built by Khrunichev. The company delivers end-to-end mission management from contract signing through on-orbit delivery, with dedicated account teams providing tailored launch solutions for communications, broadcasting, Earth observation, and government satellite missions. Services include mission integration, scheduling, launch coordination, and post-launch monitoring from Baikonur and Plesetsk cosmodromes.

Product overview

International Launch Services (ILS) provides commercial satellite launch services through a portfolio of Russian-built launch vehicles. The core offerings consist of the Proton Breeze M heavy-lift vehicle (6.27 metric tons to GTO) and the Angara 1.2 medium-lift vehicle (3-3.5 metric tons to LEO/SSO), both manufactured by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. ILS markets these vehicles globally to commercial and governmental satellite operators, offering comprehensive mission management services from contract signing through on-orbit delivery. The company also provides technical documentation including the Proton Mission Planner's Guide. With over 25 years of experience, ILS supports launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome (Proton) and Plesetsk Cosmodrome (Angara).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Proton Breeze M Launch Service Heavy-lift commercial launch service using the Proton Breeze M launch vehicle, a three-stage Proton rocket with a restartable Breeze M upper stage manufactured by Khrunichev. Provides 6.27 metric tons to GTO and 6.47 metric tons to reference SSTO performance using a five-burn Breeze M mission design. Designed for global commercial satellite operators and government agencies deploying communications, broadcasting, and heavy satellites to LEO, MEO, HEO, GTO, GSO, and SSTO orbits.
• Angara 1.2 Launch Service
• Proton Medium Launch Service A variant of the Proton launch vehicle family offered for medium-class payload missions. Marketed to commercial and governmental customers requiring Proton-family reliability for mid-weight satellite deployments.
• Mission Control Services End-to-end mission management and monitoring services covering mission inception through liftoff and post-launch activities. Includes dedicated account teams providing mission integration, scheduling, launch coordination, and mission-specific launch program management for each customer.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% mission success rate over 7 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• KARI (Korean Aerospace Research Institute)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2016First commercial Angara 1.2 contract signed with KARI for launch of KOMPSAT-6 satellite from Plesetsk Cosmodrome around 2020.
• InmarsatcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 7 March 2016Agreement for future launch of Inmarsat satellite on ILS Proton from Baikonur Cosmodrome for Global Xpress constellation expansion.
• IntelsatflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 November 2015Multi-Launch Agreement signed for five ILS Proton missions through 2023 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, representing a major customer commitment.
• Lockheed Martin CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 1999Lockheed Martin originally co-founded ILS as a joint venture with Khrunichev and RSC Energia to market both Proton and Atlas launch vehicles. Lockheed Martin provides commercial launch services expertise and access to Western satellite operator markets.
• Khrunichev State Research and Production Space CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Khrunichev is the majority shareholder in ILS and the manufacturer of Proton and Angara launch vehicles. The partnership provides ILS with exclusive rights to market these launch vehicles to commercial customers worldwide. Khrunichev operates launch facilities at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia.
• Northrop Grumman (SpaceLogistics LLC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for launch of Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1), the first commercial satellite servicing vehicle, demonstrating innovative on-orbit servicing capabilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SpaceX: Provides commercial launch services using Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy; directly competes with Proton/Angara on commercial GEO and government satellite launch contracts, especially for Eutelsat, SES, and Intelsat missions.
• United Launch Alliance (ULA): Operates Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur for medium-to-heavy GEO and government payloads; a direct competitor to ILS for commercial satellite operators and US government launch contracts.
• Arianespace: European launch services marketer of Ariane 6 and Vega-C for commercial satellite and government missions; competes with ILS in the same government and commercial GEO satellite market.
• Blue Origin: Develops New Glenn heavy-lift launch vehicle for commercial and government payloads; an emerging direct competitor to Proton on heavy-lift GEO and beyond-LEO missions.
• Rocket Lab: Operates Electron small-launch and is developing Neutron medium-launch for commercial and government satellite deployment; an emerging direct competitor particularly overlapping with Angara 1.2 in the LEO/SSO market.
• Northrop Grumman Space Systems: Operates Pegasus (air-launched) and Minotaur launch vehicles and is also an ILS customer (SpaceLogistics/MEV-1); competes as a launch provider and collaborates with ILS on commercial missions.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Operates H-IIA and H3 launch vehicles from Japan for commercial GEO satellite launches; a competing medium-to-heavy launch provider with comparable target customers.

Regional players

• China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC): Markets Long March launch vehicles internationally, including commercial GEO launches; comparable launch services offering focused on a different geographic market from ILS, with overlap on emerging market and selected commercial customers.
• Antrix Corporation (ISRO commercial arm): Markets PSLV and GSLV launch vehicles from India for foreign commercial satellite customers; an emerging regional player offering lower-cost small-to-medium launches comparable to Angara's payload class.

Others

• Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center: ILS's majority owner and the manufacturer of Proton and Angara launch vehicles, operating Baikonur and Plesetsk cosmodromes; the upstream supplier and strategic partner that produces ILS's entire commercial service offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ILSLaunch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVYtuf-nnI0chpQgjgGrzGA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ILS-International-Launch-Services
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-launch-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/ilslaunch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Launch Services