Overview
- TASS reports the Proton‑M carrying the Electro‑L No.5 hydrometeorological satellite is slated to lift off from the Baikonur spaceport.
- The mission would mark Proton’s first flight in nearly three years, with the previous launch occurring in 2023.
- The December 15, 2025 launch plan was postponed after pre‑launch checks identified a local discrepancy in the rocket’s upper stage.
- A state commission on February 9 authorized installation of the launch vehicle at the Baikonur pad.
- Electro‑L satellites in geostationary orbit provide multispectral Earth‑disk imaging, hydrometeorological data handling, telecom relay, and COSPAS‑SARSAT beacon relay, following earlier launches in 2011, 2015, and 2019, with the first losing contact in 2016.