Next Launch:
Calculating...

Days
:
Hours
:
Minutes
:
Seconds

Nations
Russia
Russia
Agencies
Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
Date: Thursday, September 9, 2021
Time: 7:59 PM UTC (UTC +0)

This goes

to space

Razbeg 1

Although the mission remains secret some payload details have been revealed.

The Russian Razbeg 1 is a small military reconnaissance satellite built by NPP VNIIEM.

Razbeg 1 is commonly understood to be the same satellite identified in earlier reports as Zvezda. The 250 kg satellite was reportedly inspired by the US American commercial Earth-imaging satellites of the SkySat 1 series.

One of the main features of the satellite is a camera built by the Belarusian company OAO Peleng with a maximum ground resolution of 0.9 meters in panchromatic mode.

No images of this payload have been released.

Razbeg 1

On this

rocket

Soyuz-2-1v/Volga

The Soyuz 2.1v is a lightweight carrier rocket designed to bring between 2,800-2,850 kg payloads into 200 km low Earth orbits.

This version of the Soyuz 2.1 rocket has no side-mounted boosters and instead uses a heavily modified center stage with expanded fuel tanks, a beefed-up structure, and a completely different first stage engine than the Soyuz 2.1b, from which it is derived.

It uses the same second stage as the Soyuz 2.1b.

Built by TsSKB Progress, the rocket stands 44 m tall and 3 m wide.

It weighs 158,000 kg at liftoff.

Image: SpaceX

Soyuz-2-1v/Volga

From this

launch site

Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

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

Founded in 1957, it was originally established to support the Soviet Union’s R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches—the same rocket family that later evolved into the Soyuz launch vehicle used today.

From its inception until 2000, Plesetsk was less active than Baikonur Cosmodrome due to its geographic limitations, primarily allowing launches into Molniya and polar orbits. However, following the fall of the Soviet Union and Russia’s loss of direct control over Baikonur (now in Kazakhstan), Plesetsk has seen a significant increase in launch activity, particularly since the early 2000s.

Today, Plesetsk is primarily used for military and commercial launches to high-inclination and polar orbits.

The site has also been the location of three fatal ground accidents, resulting in a total of 58 casualties:

- 1973: A Cosmos-3M rocket exploded on the launch pad, killing 9 people.

- 1980: A Vostok-2M rocket exploded during fueling, killing 48 people.

- 2002: A Soyuz-U rocket explosion resulted in 1 fatality.

Image: Roscosmos

Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Here's where to view Razbeg 1

Know Before You Go

The Plesetsk Cosmodrome 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 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.

Space is for everyone. Here’s a link to share the launch with your friends.