Russia Lofts Luch Relay Satellite Aboard Proton Rocket

In the early hours of the morning, the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, successfully launched a Proton-M rocket with a Briz-M upper stage carrying the Luch-5X satellite for the Russian Aerospace . The launch took place at 02:12:59.981 Moscow time from the 200th site of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.

"The launch vehicle has worked in normal mode,", Roscosmos said in a press release, adding "the upper stage has separated from the third stage of the rocket and puts the satellite into a predetermined orbit.".

The Luch-5X is part of the Luch (Russian: Луч; lit. Ray) Satellite Data Relay Network (SDRN), which is a series of geosynchronous Russian relay satellites used to transmit live TV images, communications, and other telemetry from various spacecrafts, including the Russian Operating Segment (ROS) on the ISS, to Earth. The network can be thought of as Russia's equivalent to the American Tracking Data and Relay Satellites (TDRS) network. The Luch-5X is an essential component of the Luch network, as it provides communication support for missions such as remote sensing, navigation, and search and rescue.

The Luch-5X satellite will now undergo several tests and calibration procedures before it becomes fully operational. Once operational, it will join the existing Luch network in providing reliable and high-quality communication services for Russian space missions.