Posted: Thu, Mar 19, 2015, 11:54 AM ET (1554 GMT)
A Proton rocket successfully launched a Russian communications satellite on Thursday. The Proton M rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 6:05 pm EDT Wednesday (2205 GMT Wednesday, 4:05 am local time Thursday). The rocket's Breeze M upper stage released the Express-AM7 satellite into geostationary transfer orbit nine hours and 13 minutes later. The spacecraft, build by Airbus Defence and Space for the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC), weighed 5,700 kilograms at launch. RSCC will use the spacecraft to provide communications services from 40 degrees east in GEO.

Related Links:

•  SEN article
•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  Khrunichev press release