MOSCOW, November 23 (RIA Novosti) - A Proton-M carrier rocket with the European Eutelsat W7 satellite will be launched on Monday from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, the Russian Federal Space Agency said.
Russian-American joint venture International Launch Services (ILS) has signed a contract with the Eutelsat satellite operator to launch the Eutelsat W7 to upgrade its existing satellite grouping.
It will be the eighth Proton launch in 2009 and the 349th overall for the famed Russian carrier rocket.
Eutelsat W7 has been manufactured by Thales Alenia Space on a Spacebus 4000C4 platform.
The 5.5-ton satellite features up to 74 Ku-band transponders (12 kW) and has a lifetime of about 15 years (up to 2024).
It will provide digital broadcasting for customers in Europe, including Russia, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.
Eutelsat W7 will replace the SESAT 1 satellite, which has been in orbit since 2000.
