A Proton-K heavy booster rocket has lifted off from the Russian Space Centre of Baikonur in Kazakhstan. It entered low-Earth orbit eight minutes later. The rocket is carrying three satellites from the GLONASS navigation system.
Kazakhstan halted Proton launches last month when one of the unmanned boosters, filled with highly toxic fuel, crashed. The ban was lifted after the Space Agency established that the rocket failed due to a damaged cable caused by insufficient insulation. Accidents are very rare for this type of booster.