Proton Rocket Rolls Out to Launchpad Carrying Telecom Sats

MOSCOW, March 12 (RIA Novosti) – A Russian Proton-M rocket has been rolled out to a launchpad at Kazakhstan’s Baikonur space center ahead of a Sunday launch, the Russian space agency said Wednesday.

The Proton-M rocket will place two Russian telecommunications satellites, the Express-AT1 and Express-AT2, into a geostationary orbit for TV and radio broadcasting across Russia, Kazakhstan and parts of Europe.

The satellites, manufactured by Russia’s Reshetnev company in cooperation with France’s Thales Alenia Space, each weigh over 1,400 kilograms (3,000 pounds) and have a planned lifespan of 15 years, according to Reshetnev.

The launch of the Proton, which is undergoing final prelaunch checks and fueling, is scheduled for Sunday at 3:08 a.m. Moscow time.

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