Russian Ministry of Defense – Spaceflight Now

Russian Soyuz rocket delivers military intelligence-gathering satellite into orbit

February 7, 2021 Stephen Clark

Russia sent a spy satellite into orbit aboard a Soyuz rocket Feb. 2 from a snowy launch pad at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, setting off on a mission to detect, locate, and characterize foreign military radio signals.

Russia’s Angara A5 rocket successful in second test flight

December 14, 2020 Stephen Clark

Six years after launching for the first time, a Russian Angara A5 heavy-lift rocket took off on its second test flight Monday and successfully delivered a dummy payload into orbit.

Soyuz rocket lifts off from Plesetsk with Russian relay satellites

December 3, 2020 Stephen Clark

Three Russian Gonets communications satellites launched late Wednesday from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, riding a Soyuz rocket and Fregat upper stage into orbit on the second successful Soyuz mission in less than 24 hours.

Russia launches Glonass navigation satellite

October 26, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Soyuz booster and Fregat upper stage successfully delivered an upgraded Russian Glonass navigation satellite to an orbit nearly 12,000 miles above Earth on Saturday.

U.S. officials say Russia tested a new anti-satellite weapon

July 23, 2020 Stephen Clark

U.S. and British government officials said Thursday they have evidence that Russia tested a space-based anti-satellite weapon, citing an event July 15 when analysts say a Russian military satellite launched a mysterious projectile into orbit at high speed.

Soyuz rocket launches Russian missile warning satellite

May 22, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Soyuz booster and Fregat upper stage successfully carried a missile warning satellite into orbit Friday for the Russian military.

Soyuz rocket launches with Russian navigation satellite

March 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Soyuz booster and Fregat upper stage carried a Russian Glonass navigation satellite into orbit Monday from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian space officials said.

Soyuz rocket launches Russian military satellite after one-month delay

February 20, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Russian military communications satellite rode a Soyuz rocket and Fregat upper stage Thursday into an orbit stretching nearly 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) above Earth, successfully launching after a one-month delay to replace a suspect third stage on the Soyuz booster.

Russia adds new satellite to Glonass navigation fleet

December 11, 2019 Stephen Clark

Russia launched a fresh satellite for the Glonass network Wednesday aboard a Soyuz rocket, replenishing a fleet of positioning and timing stations used around the world for navigation services.

Russia launches space surveillance satellite

November 25, 2019 Stephen Clark

A modified Soyuz rocket delivered a top secret Russian military payload into orbit Monday from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, according to the country’s defense ministry.