Russia launches two telecom satellites

MOSCOW - Russia on Monday night launched two telecommunications satellites aboard a Proton-M rocket from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said.

Live webcast from Roscosmos showed that the Proton carrier rocket blasted off from the Cosmodrome at 11:31 pm Moscow time ( 1931 GMT) as scheduled.

The Indonesian satellite, Telkom 3, is scheduled to separate from the rocket's upper stage at 8:44 am Moscow time on Tuesday (0444 GMT), and the Russian satellite, Express MD2, at 9:14 am Moscow time (0514 GMT), said Roscosmos.

The 1.8-ton Telkom 3, with a life span of 15 years, is developed by the Information Satellite Systems-Reshetnev Company of Russia. It will provide broadcasting and communications services for Indonesia, and is expected to improve the country's IT infrastructure.

Express MD2, with a life span of 10 years, was designed and developed jointly by Russia and France. It will provide broadcasting, communications, Internet and other services for Russia's Far East and Southern Siberia regions.

Monday's launch was the sixth of the Proton rocket in 2012, and the 378th in its flight history.