The Hot Bird 8 satellite will provide TV and radio broadcasting for Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

The launch comes 10 days after Russia's rocket carrying 18 satellites crashed shortly after lift-off in Baikonur.

Kazakhstan is demanding compensation for the environmental damage caused by the crash on 26 July.

It also banned further launches of Dnepr rockets.

Powerful satellite

The 4.9-ton Hot Bird 8 satellite blasted off on Russia's Proton rocket and was placed into orbit at 0659 GMT, Russian officials said.

The Hot Bird 8 "is the largest and most powerful European Ku-band broadcast satellite to go into geostationary orbit," the satellite's owner, Eutelsat, said in a statement.

It is expected to broadcast 950 digital channels to more than 110m cable and satellite homes across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, Eutelsat said.

The Hot Bird 8 will become operational in October, taking over all broadcast traffic presently carried by the Hot Bird 3 satellite.

Source:BBC