Russian Proton-M Launches Military Satellite

MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Proton-M carrier rocket blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan carrying a military satellite early Tuesday, a spokesman for Russia’s aerospace defense troops said.

The Raduga-1M satellite, codenamed Globus-1M, is designed to ensure stable communications with mobile stations, including in remote mountainous regions.

The satellite was put into the designated orbit about nine hours after the liftoff.

“The Titov Main Test and Space Systems Control Center has assumed control of the spacecraft,” Col. Dmitry Zenin said.

Proton rockets are to take two more telecommunications satellites into orbit this year: the Inmarsat-5 F1 and Express-AM5. The launches are due to take place on December 8 and December 26, respectively.

(Updated to include info that satellite reached orbit)