Russia’s Soyuz-2.1b Carrier Rocket Orbits Military Satellite — Defense Ministry

Russian Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket delivered a Russian military satellite to orbit on Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said, reports AFP.

“The Soyuz-2.1B medium lift rocket that was launched today, on February 2, at 23:45 [Moscow time] from the Defence Ministry First State Test Spaceport [Plesetsk launch facility] in the Arkhangelsk Region, successfully and in scheduled time took a spacecraft for the Russian Defense Ministry’s needs to the designated orbit,” the ministry said.

The entire mission was carried out under the normal regime, with no emergencies taking place.

The Russian Space Troops (a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces) monitored the launch and flight of the rocket.

Tuesday’s launch is the first mission of a Soyuz-2 medium-lift rocket from the Plesetsk space center this year. The previous successful launch took place on December 3, 2020.

In the past 16 years, 45 medium-lift Soyuz-2 carrier rockets (modifications 1A and 1B) were launched from the Plesetsk facility, along with six light-class Soyuz-2.1V rockets.