Orbital Data for Rockot Launch with Rodnik-S
Thursday’s Rockot launch (2015-050) from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome delivered four objects to orbit according to tracking data provided by the Joint Space Operations Center.
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Military Space
Rockot blasts off from Plesetsk with Military Satellite Payloads
A Russian Rockot launch vehicle thundered into the night skies over the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Wednesday, blasting off from its above-ground launch container at Site 133/3 at 22:00 UTC to loft a trio of Rodnik military communication satellites into orbit, likely joined by a fourth spacecraft dedicated to technology demonstrations under the framework of the Russian military’s Kosmos satellite program.
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Atlas V puts on a Show, successfully lofts fourth MUOS Satellite
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket thundered into the early morning skies over Florida’s Space Coast on Wednesday, departing Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for a long mission to deliver the fourth MUOS satellite to orbit for the Multi-User Objective System. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 took place at 10:18 UTC, marking the start of a three-hour ascent mission, aiming for a highly elliptical Geostationary Transfer Orbit.
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Long March 4C successfully lofts Yaogan 27 in China’s next surprise Launch
A Chinese Long March 4C rocket blasted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on Thursday at 2:31 UTC, carrying the Yaogan 27 reconnaissance satellite to orbit. Chinese officials declared the launch a success about one hour after liftoff and orbital data confirms the identity of the satellite, that is kept secret by officials, as an optical reconnaissance spacecraft.
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