Aerospace Forces successfully launched the Souyz-2 launch vehicle from the Plesetsk cosmodrome
Today, at 03.03 (MSK), a Space Forces combat crew of the Aerospace Forces successfully launched the Souyz-2.1b space launch vehicle with the Russian Glonass-M navigation space system on the board from the Presetsk test cosmodrome.
The launch was conducted under the general leadership of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Colonel General Alexander Golovko.
Launch of the rocket vehicle and ascent to orbit were held under normal conditions.
In three minutes after the launch, the Soyuz-2.1b was tracked by ground automated control complex of the Main Test Space Centre named after German Titov.
At estimated time, the Glonass-M spacecraft was set into an assigned orbit with the Fregat upper stage and was took under control by ground systems of the Aerospace Forces.
Sustainable telemetric communication is established and carried out. The Glonass-M board systems are functioning normally.
It is the third launch of the Souyz-2 launch vehicle from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in 2017. On November 8, 2004, the flight tests of the Souyz-2 complex started at the Plesetsk cosmodrome. For the last 13 years, 31 launches of 1.a, 1.b and 1.v versions of the Souyz-2 launch vehicle have been conducted. Besides, 20 launches of the Souyz-2 were conducted from Baikonur cosmodrome.
Set into orbit spacecraft will join the orbit group of the Russian GLONASS global navigation satellite system. Today, the Glonass orbit group includes 25 spacecraft; among them one new generation Glonass-K spacecraft is undergoing flight tests and one Glonass-M spacecraft is examined by the system chief design engineer.
