Russia launches European communications satellite

MOSCOW, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Russia launched a Proton-M carrier rocket carrying a European Eutelsat W-7 satellite from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan Tuesday, a Khrunichev Aerospace Center spokesman said.

The carrier rocket blasted off at 05:19 p.m. Moscow time (1419 GMT), spokesman Alexander Bobrenev was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass news agency.

Approximately nine hours and 12 minutes later, the W-7 telecommunications satellite of the French company Eutelsat will separate from the booster and be allocated at 36 degrees East on the geostationary orbit.

Manufactured by French company Thales Alenia Space on a Spacebus 4000C4 platform, the 5.6-ton satellite is expected to stay in operation for 15 years, providing digital broadcasting for customers in Europe, Africa and Central Asia.

The satellite featured up to 74 Ku-band transponders was launched under a contract between Eutelsat and International Launch Services (ILS), a Russian-American joint venture, and will replace the SESAT 1 satellite that has been in orbit since 2000.

The launch is the eighth involving a Proton-M carrier rocket this year. Produced by the Khrunichev center, the three-stage carrier rocket using liquid propellant has a liftoff weight of about 700 tons.

The launch was initially scheduled for Monday and delayed for 24 hours.