Russia launches Proton-M rocket with Luch-5X relay satellite

VLADIVOSTOK, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia launched a Proton-M carrier rocket with a Breeze-M upper stage on Monday, sending the Luch-5X relay satellite into space.

The Proton-M rocket was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 02:13 a.m. Moscow time (2313 GMT Sunday), Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos said in a statement.

The upper stage has separated from the third stage of the Proton-M and is currently putting the satellite into the designated orbit.

Russia's Luch multifunctional space relay system was put into trial operation in February 2016.