Russian rocket puts 2 satellites into orbit

“The upper stage put the Luch-5B and Yamal-300K satellites into
orbits close to the planned ones. Their control will be handed over to
the clients in the near future,” he said.

The satellites had to be placed into a geocentric orbit with an
apogee altitude of about 35,800 kilometers and a perigee altitude of 390
kilometers and an orbital period of 23 hours and 56 minutes.

This was the second Proton-M launch after the failed launch in
August, when the Telcom-3 and Express-MD2 telecommunications satellites
did not reach the planned orbits due to a Briz-M upper stage
malfunction.

Russia has carried out 19 space launches from its space centers in
2012. In addition, two Zenit rockets have been launched from a sea
platform in the Pacific Ocean under the Sea Launch program, and a
Soyuz-ST rocket has been launched from the spaceport near Kourou in
French Guiana. The above-mentioned Proton-M launch from Baikonur in
August failed.