Russian Military Satellite Reaches Desired Orbit: Defense Ministry

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the military satellite that was launched on Thursday from the Plesetsk spaceport by a Soyuz-2.1b rocket has reached the desired orbit.

"The medium-class Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster, which was launched from the Plesetsk spaceport at 04 hours 09 minutes Moscow time today, November 25, has successfully delivered a spacecraft to the desired orbit at the set time in the interests of the Defense Ministry," the ministry said in a statement. "The launch of the Soyuz-2.1b and spacecraft delivery to orbit took place as scheduled."

It was the 51st launch of a Soyuz-2 rocket booster by the Russian aerospace forces. Test flights of the Soyuz-2 rockets, which then replaced Soyuz-U rockets, began in Plesetsk in 2004. There were 435 Soyuz-U rocket launches from Plesetsk from 1973 to 2012.