Live coverage: 400th Proton rocket takes off with Russian satellite

The first in a new constellation of Russian Arctic weather satellites is poised for launch on top of a Soyuz rocket Sunday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The first node of a space-based European laser communications network will soar into orbit Friday aboard a commercial Eutelsat broadcasting spacecraft, setting the keystone for a satellite system to relay vast volumes of imagery at lightning fast speeds.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off Thursday night at 10:44 p.m. EDT (0244 GMT) with NASA’s four formation-flying MMS satellites.