Russia has launched a Zenit carrier rocket with a U.S. telecommunications satellite on Monday night, a spokesman for Russia's space agency Roscosmos said.

A Zenit-3SLB rocket was launched at 2100 GMT from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Monday to deliver the Intelsat-15 satellite into orbit. The launch was previously postponed for 24 hours for technical reasons.

Intelsat-15 has been developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and is designed to replace the Intelsat-709 satellite. Intelsat-15 is equipped with 22 Ku-band transponders and will provide telecommunications services for the Middle East and Russia.

The satellite weighs 2.48 tons and has a service life of at least 15 years.

The Zenit-3SLB is a modernized three-stage version of the Zenit-3SL, used on Sea Launch's floating platform in the Pacific Ocean, developed for land-based launches.

earlier report
Intelsat 15 Zenit-3SLB Land Launch Delayed
The launch of a US telecommunications satellite from Kazakhstan was put off overnight for technical reasons, Russia's Roskosmos space agency said Monday as quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.

"The date of the new launch is unknown -- either it will be postponed by an indefinite time or by 24 hours," the official said.

The Intelsat-15 satellite, produced by US-based Orbital Sciences Corporation, is due to provide communications service for customers in the Middle East and Russia. It was due to be launched by a Zenit rocket.

The reasons for putting off the launch were not specified.

earlier related report
Russia To Launch US Telecoms Satellite
A Zenit carrier rocket is scheduled to be launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Sunday to deliver a U.S. telecommunications satellite into orbit, Russia's space agency Roscosmos said.

"A Zenit-3SLB carrier rocket with an Intelsat-15 spacecraft is scheduled to be launched at 24:00 Moscow time [21:00 GMT]," Roscosmos said.

The Zenit-3SLB is a modernized three-stage version of the Zenit-3SL, which was previously used at Sea Launch's floating platform in the Pacific Ocean.

Intelsat-15 has been developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and is designed to replace the Intelsat-709 satellite.

Intelsat-15 is equipped with 22 Ku-band transponders and will provide telecommunications services for the Middle East and Russia.

The satellite weighs 2.48 tons and has a service life of at least 15 years.