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First rocket launch from Russia's Far Eastern Vostochny spaceport

Soyuz-2.1a rocket with three space satellites - Lomonosov, Aist-2D, and SamSat-218 was successfully launched from Russia’s new spaceport

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A Soyuz-2.1a rocket booster carrying Lomonosov, Aist-2D and SamSat-218 satellites blasting off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

Russia's President Vladimir Putin watching a Soyuz-2.1a rocket booster carrying satellites blast off from a launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

© Mikhail Klimentyev/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

Vladimir Putin signing an autograph on a placard as he talks to Vostochny Cosmodrome workers after the launch

© Mikhail Klimentyev/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

The Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with three space satellites - Lomonosov, Aist-2D, and SamSat-218 was successfully launched from Russia’s new Far Eastern spaceport Vostochny at 05:01 a.m. Moscow time. The satellites and the upper stage separated from the third stage approximately nine minutes after the blastoff. It was the first launch from the Russian new space center. However the rocket was launched on the second try. It was initially scheduled to be launched in the small hours on April 27.

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