Proton soars to space with satellite for Inmarsat

A Russian Proton launcher blasted off Sunday with the Inmarsat 5 F1 broadband communications satellite, kicking off a $1.6 billion program named Global Xpress to expand access to mobile high-speed communications to boats, airplanes and other users.

The Proton lifted off at 1212 GMT (7:12 a.m. EST), or 6:12 p.m. local time at Baikonur. The rocket's Breeze M upper stage will ignite five times to inject the Inmarsat 5 F1 spacecraft into geostationary transfer orbit about 15 hours, 30 minutes hours after launch.

See our Mission Status Center for live coverage of the launch.

Credit: Roscosmos

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