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Soyuz-2.1b blasts off from Vostochny spaceport carrying 55 Russian, foreign satellites

The Ionosphere-M satellites, which are the main payload, are set to be put into a sun-synchronous orbit within an hour

© Sergey Savostyanov/ TASS

VOSTOCHNY SPACEPORT, November 5. /TASS/. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket blasted off from Vostochny Spaceport carrying a pair of Ionosphere-M heliogeophysical satellites and 53 other Russian and foreign satellites, according to a TASS reporter.

About nine and a half minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s tip and the Fregat upper stage will separate from the third stage. The Ionosphere-M satellites, which are the main payload, are set to be put into a sun-synchronous orbit within an hour.

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