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Russian carrier rocket taking into space UAE satellite Y1В

The Proton-M rocket is fitted out with a Briz-M booster block

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, April 24 (Itar-Tass) — A Russian carrier rocket Proton-M that lifted off from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan at 02:18 Moscow Standard Time /22:18 GMT Monday/ is taking into space the Yahsat 1B dual satellite produced by the United Arab Emirates, Alexander Bobrenyov, an official spokesman for the Khrunichev State Space R & D Center told Itar-Tass.

Yahsat 1B is a dual commercial and military satellite.

The Proton-M rocket is fitted out with a Briz-M booster block.

"In 9 minutes 42 seconds after the liftoff an assembly consisting of the booster block and the satellite reached the suborbital trajectory," a spokesman for Russia's Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said.

After that the delivery of the Y1B satellite to the designated orbit will be done with the aid of five ignitions of the engine unit and the booster block," he said.

"The Y1B is due to separate from the Briz-M at 11:30 Moscow time /07:30 GTM/," the spokesman said.

Yahsat 1B belongs to the UAE satellite communications provider Al Yah Communications Company. It will be positioned in a geostationary orbit.

It weighs 6,100 kilograms and will have a service life of 15 years.

The Proton-M carrier rocket and the Briz-M booster block were designed by the Khrunichev company.

The International Launch Services company promotes the Protons to the market of space services. The controlling stake in it belongs to Khrunichev.

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