CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Russia's 300th Proton rocket successfully placed an American communications satellite into Earth orbit early Saturday.

Built by Alcatel Space in France for SES AMERICOM, the AMC-9 communications satellite was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 6:15 p.m. EDT (2215 GMT) Friday and took nearly nine hours to arrive at its proper orbit.

International Launch Services (ILS), the company that marketed the launch, confirmed early Saturday that spacecraft separation from the rocket's Breeze M upper stage took place as expected at 3:10 a.m. EDT (0710 GMT).

"Once again, Proton demonstrated that it is one of the most reliable vehicles in the world," said ILS president Mark Albrecht.

"It's a pleasure to provide both Alcatel Space and SES AMERICOM with another excellent launch," Albrecht added.

The satellite was lofted into geosynchronous orbit and will service the North American continent from its perch over the equator at 85 degrees West longitude.

AMC-9 was constructed with Alcatel Space's Spacebus 3000 platform. It is to last at least 15 years and is equipped with two sets of 24 transponders for C-band as well as Ku-band applications, such as digital television and other data and video transmissions.