The launch of Astra 1M was conducted by International Launch Services, using a Proton-M carrier rocket with a Briz-M upper stage. The launch occurred from Site 200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, at 20:44:20 GMT on 5 November 2008.[5] Astra 1M was successfully placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, from which it raised itself to geostationary orbit by means of an onboard apogee motor.