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Russian defense ministry satellite put into operational orbit

The Soyuz-2.1v carrier rocket with the defense ministry’s satellite was launched from platform No43 of the Plesetsk space center’s launching pad No4 on Friday, June 23

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. A Russian defense ministry satellite that was launched from the Plesetsk space center by a Soyuz-2.1v carrier rocket has been put into the operational orbit, the ministry’s press service said on Friday.

"The Soyuz-2.1v small-lift carrier rocket that was launched from the Plesetsk space center at 21:04 Moscow time put a Russian defense ministry satellite into the operational orbit in due time," the ministry said.

The Soyuz-2.1v carrier rocket with the defense ministry’s satellite was launched from platform No43 of the Plesetsk space center’s launching pad No4 on Friday, June 23. Pre-launch operations and the launch "were conducted in a routine mode.

This was the third launch of the Soyuz-2.1v rocket, which is currently undergoing flight development tests at the Plesetsk space center. The first Soyuz-2.1v launch was successfully conducted in December 2013, and the second - in December 2015.

The previous launch of a Soyuz-2 carrier rocket was performed from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia on May 25, when a Soyuz-2.1b rocket was blasted off in the interests of the defense ministry.

The family of Russia’s Soyuz-2 carrier rockets currently comprises Soyuz-2.1a and Soyuz-2.1b medium-class launchers and also the Soyuz-2.1v light rocket. They can be launched from the Baikonur, Plesetsk, and Vostochny cosmodromes and the Kourou spaceport (South America).

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