Proton-M booster with Yamal-401 space device will be launched a day earlier: on December 15 instead of December 16, as was planned before, – Roscosmos representative reported.
“Another stage of preparations for the launch of Proton-M booster with Briz-M upper stage and Yamal-401 telecommunication space device was finished at Baikonur. The launch is expected to take place on December 15 instead of December 16 planned before, – the spokesman stated.
Yamal-401 is being prepared for the launch by Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems specialists; who has already completed final operations in the integration building to prepare Proton-M for the docking with space head.
The previous Proton-M booster launch took place on October 22, 2014. That time Russian telecommunication space device Express-AM6 was successfully set into the orbit.
The new satellite belongs to Gazprom Space Systems satellite communication operator orbital group and is aimed to provide Europe and Asia with broadcasting and telecommunication services in continuous mode being equipped with 53 transponders and 6 antennas working in C- and Ku- frequencies.