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Fregat upper stage carrying four satellites separates from third stage

It will take a little more than four hours to put the satellites into orbit

VOSTOCHNY COSMODROME /Amur Region/, October 22. /TASS/. The nose cone in the Fregat upper stage carrying three Gonets-M satellites and a Skif-D module has separated from the third stage of the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle, TASS correspondent reported on Saturday.

It will take a little more than four hours to put the satellites into orbit.

The Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from the Vostochny launch pad at 22.57 Moscow time. It is the first rocket launch from Vostochny in 2022. The Gonets-M satellites were launched into orbit from that spaceport for the first time, while Skif-D became the first module to be launched under the Sfera program.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told about the Sfera program during his annual question and answer session on June 7, 2018. The program envisages the launch of communications and Earth remote sensing satellites. Former Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin said then that the Sfera program would include five satellite constellations providing telecom services, and another five designed for monitoring.

The Gonets is Russia’s sole low-orbit satellite communications system designed for the global exchange of various types of information with mobile and stationary facilities, and for organizing re-broadcasting channels for various purposes.

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