Today in the morning, the “Proton-M” launch vehicle with the “Breeze-M” upper stage and the Russian “Yamal-601” communications satellite was rolled out to the launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome.

The launch of the “Yamal-601” telecommunications satellite, manufactured by the French division of Thales Alenia Space according to the order of the Russian satellite operator JSC Gazprom Space Systems, is scheduled for May 30.

The decision to transport the “Proton-M” to the launch pad was made the day before by the state commission after evaluating the results of the rocket preparation at the technical complex and the readiness of the ground infrastructure of the launch complex.

Within a few hours, the rocket installed on the launch pad will be put vertical, the service truss will be led to it and the necessary communications will be connected.

Then experts Khrunichev Space Center and other enterprises of Roscosmos State Corporation will begin to work on the schedule for the first launch day.

The “Yamal-601” project is part of the Federal Program for the Development of Television and Radio Broadcasting in the Russian Federation.

“Yamal-601” should become the most powerful communication satellite in the Russian orbital group.

The new satellite will replace the “Yamal-202” satellite in orbit and will provide fixed-line communications and data transmission services in the C-band in a large part of Russia, as well as in the CIS, Europe, Middle East and South -Eastern Asia.

In addition, the satellite will provide for users in the territory of Russia communication services and high-speed Internet access.