MOSCOW, November 20 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian Proton-M launch vehicle carrying the EchoStar XVI telecommunications satellite lifted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Tuesday evening, Russian space agency Roscosmos told RIA Novosti.

“The launch occurred at 10:31 p.m. (Moscow time),” Roscosmos said.

“Separation of the satellite from the Briz-M booster is expected at 7:43 a.m. on November 21,” it said.

The all Ku band EchoStar XVI will be leased to US satellite broadcaster DISH.

It is the 10th Proton launch this year and the 76th since commercial operations began in 1996. The launch vehicle has been used to orbit five EchoStar payloads.