Proton-M Rocket. 3D Illustration Poster. Stock Image

The Proton-M, GRAU index 8K82M or 8K82KM, is an expendable Russian heavy-lift launch vehicle derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Commercial launches are marketed by International Launch Services (ILS), and generally use Site 200 39. The first Proton-M launch occurred on 7 April 2001. Proton flew its most recent mission on 13 December 2021, launching two Ekspress communication satellites into geostationary orbit.