MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. Russia's Proton-M carrier rocket with the Yamal-401 telecommunications satellite blasted off on early Monday from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, the press service of Russian Space Agency Roscosoms reported.

The agency added that the separation of the satellite from the carrier rocket in the designated orbit was scheduled for 12:17 Moscow time (8:17 GMT).

Initially, the lift-off of the Russian telecoms satellite was scheduled for December 2. However, the event was postponed until December 16 amid the delayed launch of Europe's Astra-2G. Last week the launch was moved again for December 15.

The Yamal-401 satellite, designed and built by ISS-Reshetnev Company for Russian operator Gazprom Space Systems, is capable of continuously relaying signals in Europe and Asia. The satellite has 53 transponders and six antennas in C/Ku-bands.

The Yamal-401 is the third spacecraft built on the basis of a heavy-class Express-2000 platform. The mass of the satellite is 2,976 kg, the power used to carry the payload is 11 kWt, and the life span is 15 years.