Communications satellite successfully launched from Baikonur
On April 19, 2018 a telecommunications satellite Blagovest №12, designed and built by ISS-Reshetnev Company, was successfully launched into orbit from the Baikonur cosmodrome.
A Proton-M rocket carrying Blagovest №12 took off at 01:12 Moscow time from the Baikonur launch site. Nine hours and two minutes into flight the satellite was injected into the geostationary orbit with a Breeze-M upper stage.
By now Blagovest №12 has established contact with ground controllers, all its systems perform as intended, mechanical systems have successfully deployed. The satellite is currently in the Sun acquisition mode.
The Blagovest №12 satellite is based on ISS-Reshetnev’s Express-2000 platform and has a payload structure which was also developed by the company.