MOSCOW, April 28 (RIA Novosti) - A Ukrainian-Russian rocket has lifted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan with an Israeli communications satellite on board, a federal space agency spokesman said on Monday.
The Zenit-3SLB rocket was scheduled to orbit the Israeli AMOS-3 satellite on Thursday, but was hit by a number of delays.
The $170-mln Israeli satellite is to join the AMOS-2 satellite, replacing AMOS-1. It will increase capacity, expand coverage, and enhance direct cross-Atlantic links connecting the Mideast to Europe and the U.S. East Coast, according to the fleet's operator, Space Communications Ltd.
Russia started preparations for the first launch of a three-stage Zenit-3SLB rocket from a land-based launch site in October last year.
All previous launches of this type of Zenit rocket were conducted as part of the Sea Launch program from the Pacific Ocean.
