Next Commercial Launch Of Russia's Proton-M Rocket Moved From Aug To Sept - Source

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th July, 2019) The next commercial launch of the Russian Proton-M carrier rocket loaded with European and US satellites from the Baikonur Cosmodrome has been rescheduled from August to September, two sources in the aerospace industry told Sputnik on Friday.

In June, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, the manufacturer of Proton-M, told Sputnik that the launch was planned for late summer.

"The launch of the Proton-M carrier rocket with the Briz-M upper stage, Eutelsat 5 West B European communications satellite and US technological Mission Extension Vehicle-1 is planned for September 20 with a reserve date on September 22," one of the sources said.

Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center has refused to comment on the information provided by the sources.

The center carries out commercial launched of Proton-M under contracts with International Launch Services, the provider of launch services with the use of Proton rockets on the international market.

Between 1996 and 2018, the company carried out 96 commercial launches.