 photo by Roscosmos On November 24, 2009 Russia launched a Proton-M rocket carrying the European "Eutelsat W7” satellite at 14:19 UTC.
The contract for the launch was concluded between the European "Eutelsat” telecommunications company and International Launch Services Inc. (ILS). The Russian-American joint venture International Launch Services (ILS) had signed a contract with the Eutelsat satellite operator to launch the Eutelsat W7.
Eutelsat W7 was manufactured by Thales Alenia Space.
The 5.5-ton satellite has a lifetime of about 15 years.
It will provide digital broadcasting for customers in Europe, including Russia, as well as Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. Eutelsat W7 is designed to replace the SESAT 1 satellite, which has been in orbit since 2000.
The launch is the Proton's eighth in 2009 and the 349th overall for Russia's famed carrier. Attachments: | 
