The Russian Ministry of Defense launched another military spacecraft into orbit. Launched today, 19 May, from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region. It is reported by the press service “Roscosmos”.
according to the report, rocket launch “Soyuz-2.1a” took 19 May 11:03 by MSK. Mt.. from the Plesetsk cosmodrome and passed in the normal mode. After the estimated time, the rocket launched a spacecraft into the target orbit in the interests of the Ministry of Defense. The satellite has already been accepted for tracking by ground control facilities of the Main Test Space Center named after German Titov.
At the estimated time, the satellite was launched into the target orbit and accepted for control of ground facilities of the Space Forces of the Aerospace Forces. A stable telemetry connection has been established and maintained with it, and its on-board systems are functioning normally. The spacecraft has been assigned a serial number “Space-2556”- It said in a statement.
This is the third launch of satellites of the series. “Space” recently, the previous two took place in April. First booster “Soyuz-2.1b” put a satellite into orbit “Space-2554”, at the end of the month booster “Angara-1.2” launched a satellite “Space-2555”. Meanwhile, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) states, what “Space-2555” allegedly descended from orbit and burned up in the dense layers of the atmosphere.
The military department does not disclose the purpose of satellites of the series “Space”, however, the United States believes that they are intended not only to monitor other satellites, but also to intercept them. The Pentagon does not rule out, that the satellites “Space” should in the future become an element of the Russian orbital group, fulfilling a deterrent role in the space war race.
