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.
