16-05-09 Russia sends U.S. communication satellite into space

Russia launched a carrier rocket on Saturday to send a U.S. communication satellite into space,the Itar-Tass news agency reported.The Briz-m rocket,with a ProtoStar-2 satellite atop,blasted off at 04:57 a.m. Moscow time (0057 GMT) from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan,Alexander Bobrenev,spokesman for the rocket's manufacturer the Khrunichev Center,was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass.The Russian Space Agency (Roskosmos) said earlier that the satellite will separate from the booster in 9 hours and 15 minutes.The ProtoStar-2 satellite,a product of the Boeing corporation,will provide communication services for customers in such countries as Indonesia,India and the Philippines