Russia’s Proton booster-rocket carrying a military communications satellite took off from Baikonur station in Kazakhstan early Tuesday, news agencies reported.
Russia’s Strategic Rocket Force was in charge of the launch and also controls the satellite’s placement in orbit and its operation, the Strategic Rocket Force press service told Interfax.
It was the fifth launch of military satellites of Kosmos 2372 type since 1990, press service said.
This launch comes after Russia’s space officials had postponed on Saturday the launch of a Proton rocket carrying five satellites for Italy, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, citing unspecified technical difficulties.
The Khrunichev Space Center, maker of booster-rockets, said that 15 launches of Protons were scheduled for this year, and that nine of those had already taken place.
