MOSCOW -- A Russian rocket carrying a U.S. telecommunications satellite was successfully launched Sunday from the Odyssey Sea Platform, Russian officials said.

The Zenit-3SL rocket with the five-ton Galaxy-3S satellite blasted off at 0240 Moscow time (2240 GMT Saturday) from the Sea Platform sailing in the Pacific Ocean, officials said as quoted by the ITAR-TASS news agency.

This was the first satellite to be launched from the Odyssey platform this year, AFP quoted officials as saying, adding that four more satellites would blast off the platform later this year.