Posted: Mon, Apr 28, 2014, 6:45 PM ET (2245 GMT)
A Proton rocket successfully launched communications satellites for Russia and Kazakhstan on Monday. The Proton-M rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 12:25 am EDT (0425 GMT, 10:25 am local time) Monday carrying the Luch-5V and KazSat-3 communications satellites. The two satellites were deployed into their target orbits about nine hours later, according to official Russian reports. Luch-5V is the third in a series of communications relay satellites operating in GEO, supporting the Russian segment of the ISS and other spacecraft. KazSat-3, built by Russian manufacturer ISS-Reshetnev for the Kazakh government, will provide telecommunications services for the central Asian country.

Related Links:

•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  RIA Novosti article
•  Itar-Tass article
•  Voice of Russia article
•  Khrunichev press release