Angara Rocket Launches Russian Spy Satellite

A Russian Angara rocket launched a satellite “in the interests of the Russian defense ministry” on Friday.

The ministry told reporters today that the satellite, launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Archangelsk Region, has been successfully put to the final orbit.

"The spacecraft launched by the combat crew of Space Forces of the Russian Aerospace Force from the Plesetsk state test cosmodrome separated from the rocket at 23:18 Moscow time and was put to the final orbit at the estimated time. The satellite was taken for tracking by terrestrial aids of the Titov Main Test Space Center," the Ministry said.

"The serial number of Cosmos-2555 was assigned to the spacecraft," the Ministry noted. Telemetry has been establish and is maintained with the spacecraft and onboard systems of the satellite are functioning normally, the Ministry added.

It is the second launch of a light version of the Angara rocket family. The first launch of this light carrier rocket took place also from the Plesetsk spaceport on July 9, 2014. The rocket has two stages and is capable of carrying a payload of up to three tonnes into low-Earth orbit. On Friday, Angara-1.2 rocket was launched for the first time with a satellite.