On March 27, 2004 Russia successfully launched Proton-K rocket from the launch pad No. 23 of the launch complex No. 81 of the Baykonur launch site. The launch was performed by the crews of the Space Forces at 06:30 DMV (03:30 UTC). The satellite, which the rocket equipped with a DM2 upper stage delivered into orbit, was designated Cosmos-2406.

Cosmos-2406 is reported (Kommersant, March 29, 2004) to be a geostationary military relay satellite of the Raduga-1/Globus-1 (17F15) type (see Novosti Kosmonavtiki). The satellite was given an international designation 2004-010A and the NORAD number 28194. It is expected to stabilize at the 49E point on the geosynchronous orbit (UPDATE: As of May 2004, it was at 85E) and will join three other operational satellites of this type - Raduga 1-4 (25642, 1999-010A), Raduga 1-5 (26477, 2000-049A), and Raduga 1-6 (26936, 2001-045A).

UPDATE: On May 31, 2004 the Space Forces informed that the satellite was given official designation Raduga-1.