The EchoStar-21 satellite, aboard a Proton-M launch vehicle, is designed to provide mobile communications to the European territory.

Photo is courtesy of Sergei Savostianov/TASS.

The Russian news infosite, TASS, is informing readers that the nation is planning five Proton-M carrier rocket launches this year, including three commercial launches, this related to all by the Khrunichev Space Center CEO Andrei Kalinovsky on Wednesday.

Additionally, a Proton-M carrier rocket is planned to blast off from the Baikonur space center on June 8 to orbit an EchoStar-21 satellite. The launch is scheduled for 06:45 Moscow time. The previous launch of the Proton carrier rocket took place on June 9, 2016. That launch delivered an Intelsat-31 commercial satellite into orbit.

The order book of Russia’s Khrunichev Space Center is comprised of eight contracts through 2023 that will launch 15 Proton-M carrier rockets for commercial purposes. Although Russia has not launched Proton-M carrier rockets for almost one year, none of the launchers customers have turned to rivals of the Khrunichev Space Center for space launches

Russia plans to launch a Proton-M carrier rocket with an EchoStar-21 commercial satellite from the Baikonur space center on June 8. The launch is scheduled for 06:45 Moscow time. Russia also intends to orbit Amazonas 5 and AsiaSat 9 commercial satellites before the close of this year.