Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Launches Its Most Powerful Telecom Satellite

SC "Yuzhny" / Roscosmos

Russia has launched a powerful European-made communications satellite for the state energy giant Gazprom from Kazakhstan.

Gazprom's space subsidiary, Gazprom Space Systems, runs Yamal satellites to broadcast to customers in Russia, western and central Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. France’s Thales Alenia Space company manufactures the satellites for Gazprom.

The Yamal-601 satellite launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and was sent into orbit after a nine-hour flight, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday.

Yamal-601 replaces the Yamal-202 satellite, providing new capabilities including satellite broadband and expanded coverage. The satellite is the most powerful communications satellite in Russia's orbital fleet and has a shelf life of 15 years, Interfax reported.

Five additional Proton-M rocket launches are planned in 2019. Dogged by a string of failures and quality control concerns in 2006-2015, Protons will be phased out and replaced by Angara rockets over the next decade.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more