Russia launched 4 satellites to orbit on Saturday (Oct. 22), the nation’s fifth liftoff in a two-week stretch.
A Soyuz rocket topped with three satellites for the Gonets-M communications constellation and an indication spacecraft known as Skif-D lifted off Saturday at 3:57 p.m. EDT (1957 GMT; 10:57 p.m. Moscow time) from Vostochny Cosmodrome, in far japanese Russia.
All 4 satellites have been deployed into their designated orbits as deliberate, in keeping with Roscosmos, Russia’s federal space company.
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Every of the three Gonets-M satellites — Gonets-M33, Gonets-M34 and Gonets-M35 — weighs about 617 kilos (280 kilograms), according to Anatoly Zak of RussianSpaceWeb.com (opens in new tab).
The trio simply joined the Gonets-M (“Messenger-M”) constellation, which circles Earth at an altitude of about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers). These satellites “are designed to transmit information and supply cell satellite communications companies to cell and stationary subscribers wherever on the earth,” Roscosmos officers wrote in a Telegram post (opens in new tab) shortly after Saturday’s launch. (The put up is in Russian; translation offered by Google.)
Skif-D went increased on Saturday; it is designed to function in a near-polar orbit about 5,015 miles (8,070 km) above Earth, in keeping with Zak.
The satellite is an indication craft, as indicated by the “D” in its title. Skif-D is “a prototype of the primary Russian satellite for the broadband web entry in distant areas, reminiscent of Arctic areas of Russia,” Zak wrote.
The Skif system is envisioned to ultimately include 12 spacecraft, every of which is able to have the ability to beam right down to Earth 100 gigabits of information per second, he added.
Saturday’s launch continued a busy October for Russia, which now has 5 launches beneath its belt within the final two weeks.
A Soyuz launched a GLONASS navigation satellite from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, in Russia’s northwest, on Oct. 9; a Proton rocket lofted a communications satellite for the Angolan authorities from the Russia-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 12; an Angara rocket launched the mysterious EMKA-3 military satellite from Plesetsk on Oct. 15; and a Soyuz launched two other clandestine military spacecraft from Plesetsk on Friday (Oct. 21).
One other liftoff is developing quickly as effectively: A Soyuz is scheduled to launch from Baikonur on Tuesday (Oct. 25) at 8:20 p.m. EDT (0020 GMT on Oct. 26), sending a robotic Progress cargo spacecraft towards the International Space Station. You may watch that liftoff stay right here at House.com, courtesy of NASA TV.
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