Russia Successfully Launches 'Soyuz-2.1v' Rocket Carrying Military Satellites into Orbit.
Science and Technology
On February 5, 2025, Russia successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1v rocket carrying multiple payloads from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk Region. The mission, conducted in the interest of the Russian Ministry of Defence, aimed at deploying military satellites into orbit. The Soyuz-2.1v is a light-class rocket specifically designed for such operations.
- This launch was carried out by the Russian Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno-kosmicheskiye sily, VKS) with support from their space troops. Notably, this marks the 13th and final mission of the lightweight Soyuz-2 variant.
- The Soyuz-2.1v rocket is a light-class, two-stage launch vehicle derived from the Soyuz-2.1b model. Developed by the Progress Rocket and Space Center, it is designed to deploy spacecraft into low circular and elliptical orbits. This mission used a three-stage version, featuring the Volga upper stage, which placed the payload into an orbit with an inclination of 82.4 degrees—similar to its first mission in 2013.
- Following the launch, the Volga space tug, serving as the third stage, was scheduled to be deorbited approximately 12 hours later, with reentry planned over a southern section of the Pacific Ocean.
Main Point :- (i) The successful deployment of these military satellites further strengthens Russia’s space capabilities, enhancing its defense sector and ensuring strategic superiority.
(ii) Between 2006 and 2024, a total of 72 Soyuz-2.1b rocket launches were conducted, placing 665 spacecraft into near-Earth orbits and various flight trajectories.
(iii) This mission underscores Russia's continued advancements in space technology and military satellite deployment, reinforcing its presence in global space operations.
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President : Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
PM : Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin
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