Russia has successfully launched a US communications satellite into space.

Russia's Proton-M carrier rocket blasted off from the Kazakh Baikonur space center, carrying a SkyTerra-1 mobile satellite.

Russia's launch was conducted on a contract signed between Russian-US joint venture International Launch Services and Canadian MSV-Mobile Satellite Ventures.

The SkyTerra 1 is produced by Boeing to provide voice and data services to cell phone users.

The SkyTerra 1 and its twin SkyTerra 2 will provide the world's first commercial mobile satellite service using both space and terrestrial elements.