Russian Ministry of Defense – Spaceflight Now

Russian Soyuz rocket delivers military intelligence-gathering satellite into orbit

February 7, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.