Russian Rocket Launched With U.S. Satellite
May 9, 1998 - 0:0
MOSCOW A Russian Proton rocket blasted off Thursday at 23:45 GMT from the Baikonour Space Center in Kazakhstan carrying an American ECHOSTAR-4 communications satellite, ITAR-TASS reported early Friday. The launch was the third this year for the Proton rocket. The previous times, it placed in orbit seven telecommunications satellites belonging to the international consortium Irridium and a Russian military KOSMOS-2350 satellite.
Eleven commercial Proton launches are planned this year. The ECHOSTAR satellite is part of a global telecommunications network. Three other ECHOSTAR satellites were previously placed aloft by the U.S. Atlas rocket. The cost of using the Proton rocket is estimated at about $70 million. (AFP)
Eleven commercial Proton launches are planned this year. The ECHOSTAR satellite is part of a global telecommunications network. Three other ECHOSTAR satellites were previously placed aloft by the U.S. Atlas rocket. The cost of using the Proton rocket is estimated at about $70 million. (AFP)