A Russian rocket lit up the night sky over Baikonur Cosmodrome Thursday (May 30) to launch a powerful new communications satellite into orbit. The heavy-lift Proton-M rocket lifted off at 1:42 p.m. EDT (1742 GMT) carrying the Yamal-601 communications satellite for Russia's JSC Gazprom Space Systems. Yamal-601 is Russia's most powerful communications satellite yet, according to the country's space agency Roscosmos. Image 1 of 2 A Russian Proton-M rocket carrying the Yamal-601 communications satellite launches into orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on May 30, 2019. (Image: © Roscosmos/TSENKI) Image 2 of 2 A Russian Proton-M rocket carrying the Yamal-601 communications satellite launches into orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on May 30, 2019.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 30, 2019 21:18 UTC