Russian rocket with military satellites takes off from Plesetsk Cosmodrome

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  • Russian rocket with military satellites takes off from Plesetsk Cosmodrome

Russia’s Defense Ministry has released official footage of an Angara-A5 heavy-lift rocket launching from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome around 800 km north of Moscow on June 19. Onboard were military satellites, marking the fifth flight of the Angara‑A5 family. 

This mission utilized Plesetsk Cosmodrome’s Site 35, a high-latitude military Launchpad ideal for polar orbit insertions.  Angara series was developed post‑1990s to reduce reliance on Baikonur/Central Asian launches and foreign components.

Clean-burning and modular, the rocket family is to replace older Proton boosters for both civilian and military roles, including launching modules to the planned Russian orbital station. This mission underscores Russia’s progress toward reliable, independent access to space, essential for deploying strategic military satellites.

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