Bars-M

The Bars-M series from Russia is an electro-optical surveillance satellite and the second generation of Bars satellites.

In addition to the Karat camera, the satellites carry a dual laser altimeter and can provide Russia with topographic and stereo imagery, altimeter data, and high-resolution images of up to 1 meter.

Each Bars-M is built to operate for 5 years in a 570 km high sun-synchronous orbit.

The first Bars-M launched in February 2015.

The second one launched in March 2016.

The third followed in May 2022.

The Soyuz 2.1a rocket is a multi-use rocket, capable of launching civilian and military satellites to orbit as well as cargo and crew vehicles to the International Space Station.

The rocket itself can launch from all three Roscosmos launch sites: the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in western Russia, and the Vostochny Cosmodrome in eastern Russia.

For crew and cargo launches to the Station, it can only launch from Site No. 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Its inaugrual crew launch happened on April 7th, 2020, when it took two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut to space.

Stats:
Boosters (Blok-B, -V, -G, -D):
Number: 4
Engines: 1 x RD-107A per booster
Length: 19.6 m / 64 ft
Diameter 2.68 m / 8.8 ft
Thrust (total): 3,357.92 kN / 754,880 lbf (sealevel)
4,079.68 kN / 917,160 lbf (vacuum)
Burn Time: 118 seconds
Fuel: Liquid Oxygen & RP-1 (rocket grade) kerosene

First Stage (Blok-A):
Engines: 1 x RD-108A
Length: 27.1 m / 88.9 ft
Diameter: 2.95 m / 9.7 ft
Thrust: 792.41 kN / 178,140 lbf (sealevel)
921.86 kN / 207,240 lbf (vacuum)
Burn Time: 286 seconds
Fuel: Liquid Oxygen & RP-1 (rocket grade) kerosene

Second Stage (Blok-I):
Engines: 1 x RD-0110
Length: 6.7 m / 22 ft
Diameter: 2.66 m / 9.8 ft
Thrust: 298 kN / 67,000 lbf
Burn Time: 270 seconds
Fuel: Liquid Oxygen & RP-1 (rocket grade) kerosene

Soyuz 2.1a facts
Height: 46.3 m / 152 ft
Liftoff Mass: 312,000 kg / 688,000 lbs

Lift capability:
To Low-Earth Orbit: 7,020 kg / 15,480 lb

Image: Roscosmos

The Plesetsk Cosmodrome is located 800 km north of Moscow, Russian Federation.

The site was founded in 1957 to support Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ICBM launches of the R7 missile - from which the Soyuz rockets today are derived.

Plesetsk was not as busy as Baikonur in terms of satellite launches from its founding in 1957 to 2000 due to its location and ability to only launch crafts to Molniya and polar orbits.

With the fall of the Soviet Union and the Baikonur Cosmodrome becoming foreign territory for Russia, Plesetsk has been far more active since the 2000s.

It is primarily used for military and commercial launches to high inclination and polar orbits.

It has been the site of three fatal ground accidents that have killed 58 people.

In 1973, a Cosmos-3M rocket exploded on the launch pad killing 9; in 1980, a Vostok-2M rocket exploded during fueling, killing 48; in 2002, a Soyuz-U rocket exploded killing 1 person.