Posted: Sun, Oct 7, 2001, 11:31 AM ET (1531 GMT)
A Proton rocket launched a Russian military communications satellite Saturday. The Proton lifted off from Baikonur, Kazakhstan at 12:45 pm EDT (1645 GMT) and placed into geosynchronous orbit a Raduga-1 military communications satellite. The launch is the fifth this year for the Proton, and the second military launch of the year; a Proton launched a classified spacecraft in August believed to be another military communications satellite. Russia is expected to launch several more military satellites by the end of the year, but contrary to some reports last week those launches were planned before last month's terrorist attacks and are thus not a reaction to them.

Related Links:

•  AFP article
•  AP article
•  Raduga-1 information from Encyclopedia Astronautica