Russia's military spacecraft

A vast majority of the satellites the Soviet Union had launched between 1960 and 1990 carried military duties. Publicly, however, the USSR would deny the very existence of the military space program in the country. Not surprisingly, numerous military space projects have never been officially acknowledged until the last decade of the 20th century.

Most Russian military payloads reaching the orbit would be identified only as Cosmos satellites with particular numbers. Any civilian satellites, whose purpose the government would not want to explain, would also receive Cosmos names. It was up to independent observers and historians around the world to struggle with a puzzle of secret space programs. They based their analysis on a combination of available official data and satellite tracking information.

The post-Soviet Russia adopted somewhat "westernized" approach to information policy on military space: the military launches are identified as such and receive traditional Cosmos names.

During the 1990s, Russian military assets in orbit continuously degraded, as the Ministry of Defense could not afford to launch new spacecraft to replace aging and failing satellites. The situation started changing to the better in the first decade of the 21th century, as the Russian economy had improved. In the spring of 2006, President Vladimir Putin said that Russian military budget would increase by 20 percent in the coming year, while official media promised restoration of the Russian military satellite constellation by 2008.

IN THE UNIFORM: The overview of the unmanned military spacecraft developed in the former USSR:

Recent events:

Putin to split space and missile forces

Posted: 2001 Jan. 26

Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to separate military space units from their subordination to the Strategic Missile Forces, RVSN, sources in Moscow said. Putin announced his intention to restructure RVSN during a closed-door meeting of the security council in the last week of January 2001. According to the Russian press, all space and space defense units of the Ministry of Defense will form a separate type of armed forces.

(Details inside)

2001 May 29, 21:55 Moscow Time (1:55 p.m. EDT): The Soyuz U rocket launched a military satellite, apparently the Yantar or Kobalt imaging spacecraft, from Plesetsk's Pad 4 at Site 43. According to official information from the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, the spacecraft successfully reached orbit at 22:04 Moscow Time. The payload announced as Cosmos-2377. In preparation for the launch, the Soyuz U rocket arrived to the launch pad on May 28 at 10:20 Moscow Time. (Energy supply problems in Plesetsk threatened to delay the launch);

According to the data from NORAD, the Cosmos-2377 entered 165 x 358-kilometer orbit with the inclination 67.1 degrees, which matches the orbit parameters for the Kobalt/Yantar-type satellites. (Data via Jonathan McDowell).

2001 June 8, 19:12 Moscow Time (11:12 p.m. EDT): The Cosmos-3M launcher returned to flight on Friday, June 8, with the successful launch of a military satellite. The two-stage rocket blasted off from Russia's Northern Cosmodrome in Plesetsk at 20:12 Moscow Time (12:12 p.m. EDT) on June 8, according to the Russian Space Forces. The spacecraft, announced as Cosmos-2378, successfully reached the orbit.

The parameters of its orbit (1,023 by 981 kilometers, inclination 82.9 degrees toward the Equator) suggest that the satellite belongs to the Tsyklon-B navigation and communications network, comprised of the Parus ("Sail") spacecraft. Russia's missile carrying submarines and surface battleships use the Parus spacecraft to determine their exact position in the open sea -- the information critical for the high-precision warfare.

2001 July 20: The Molniya-M rocket successfully delivered a Molniya-3K satellite, for military communications after the launch at 00:17 UTC from Pad 4 at Site 43 in in Plesetsk. The latest launch was earlier expected in June.

2001 Aug. 24: Proton rocket launched a military payload (Delayed 24 hours by technical problems);

2001 Oct. 6, 20:45 Moscow Time: The Proton launched a military satellite (apparently Raduga-1 comsat) from Baikonur;

2001 Oct. 25: Russian Space Forces launched a military communications satellite today from its Northern Cosmodrome in Plesetsk. A four-stage Molniya-M rocket blasted off from the Launch Pad 3 at Site 43 of the Cosmodrome at 15:34 Moscow Time (7:34 a.m. EDT) and ten minutes later successfully delivered Molniya (Lightning) spacecraft into the initial orbit.

The fourth stage of the launcher then expected to fire again to push the spacecraft into its final highly elliptical orbit with the inclination 62.8 degrees toward the Equator. The launch was previously scheduled for October 11.

2001 Dec. 1: The Proton-K rocket blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 21:04 Moscow Time (1:04 p.m. EST), carrying two standard Uragan ("Hurricane") spacecraft and a brand-new Uragan-M satellite for the GLONASS network -- the Russian equivalent of the US Global Positioning System, GPS.

The introduction of newer Uragan-M satellites promises to save the cost of operating the GLONASS network, thanks to the spacecraft’s longer operational lifetime.

As of November 27, only six Uragan satellites, launched last year and in 1998, were functioning in orbit.

2001 Dec. 21: After a two-day delay, a Ukrainian-built Tsyklon-2 booster successfully delivered a Russian electronic intelligence spacecraft on Friday.

A 182-ton two-stage rocket blasted off from Site 90 in Baikonur at 07:00 Moscow Time on December 21. The rocket was carrying the US-PU satellite built by KB Arsenal development center in St. Petersburg and designed to provide electronic intelligence and missile guidance information for the Russian Navy. The rocket successfully inserted the spacecraft into a transfer orbit with the apogee of 400 kilometers. The satellite, officially designated Cosmos-2383, was then expected to use its own propulsion system to reach a final orbit around 07:48 Moscow Time on December 21.

This was the first launch of the US-type spacecraft since December 1999 and the 104th launch of the Tsyklon-2 booster.

2001 Dec. 27 (EST): In the last space launch of 2001, a Ukrainian-built rocket delivered a sextet of communications satellites into orbit after an early-morning blastoff from Russia’s northern cosmodrome in Plesetsk.

The three-stage Tsyklon-3 booster took off from Launch Complex 32 in Plesetsk at 06:24 Moscow Time on December 28. The rocket was carrying six satellites, including three Gonets D1 (“Messenger”) spacecraft intended to replenish a low-orbital communications network. Remaining three satellites onboard the rocket belonged to the Russian Ministry of Defense and in an accordance with the standard practice for the military spacecraft were identified as Cosmos-2384, -2385 and -2386.

2002 Feb. 25: Russia launched its first space mission in 2002, delivering a secret satellite into low Earth orbit from Plesetsk. The Soyuz-U rocket blasted off from Russia’s northern launch facility at 20:26 Moscow Time, after a 2-hour-7-minute delay caused by technical problems. It was 1666th mission of the veteran rocket based on the R-7 ICBM.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and Director of the Russian Aviation and Space Agency Yuri Koptev personally viewed the launch in Plesetsk.

Some nine minutes after the blastoff, the spacecraft, officially announced as Cosmos-2387, reached the orbit. The Cosmos-2387 apparently belongs to the Yantar family of imaging reconnaissance satellites, routinely launched from Plesetsk.

Total 10 launches are planned from Plesetsk during 2002, according to Russian space officials. Six space launches took place from the site, during 2001.

2002 April 2: Russian Space Forces launched a military satellite on Tuesday from their Northern Cosmodrome in Plesetsk. A four-stage Molniya-M rocket blasted off at 02:07 Moscow Time on April 2 and ten minutes later successfully delivered a classified military payload, most likely Oko-type early-warning satellite, to the initial Earth orbit.

The upper stage of the launch vehicle then expected to maneuver the satellite into highly elliptical orbit. This was 220th launch for the Molniya-M booster, which was apparently delayed several times in the past few weeks.

Lubov Kudelina, Deputy Minister of Defense and Anatoly Perminov, Chief Commander of Russian Space Forces, KVR, personally attended the launch in Plesetsk.

A major fire at Russia's military ground control center near Moscow last year is believed to be responsible for the loss of control over one or several satellites, providing early warning about missile attack for the Russian Ministry of Defense.

2002 May 28: The Cosmos-3M booster delivered a navigation satellite after the launch from Russia's northern cosmodrome in Plesetsk.

The payload, officially identified as Cosmos-2389, apparently belongs to the Tsikada series of navigation satellites.

2002 July 8: The Cosmos-3M booster delivered two classified satellites after a successful launch from Russia's northern cosmodrome in Plesetsk. The launch took place at 10:36 Moscow Time.

The payload was officially identified only as Cosmos-2390 and Cosmos-2391, however the Russian press reported that the spacecraft belong to the series of the Strela communications network, providing secret communications for the Russian authorities.

2002 July 25: The Proton booster launched a classified satellite from Site 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome, officially announced as Cosmos-2392. The launch took place at 19:13 Moscow Time (11:13 a.m. EST). The spacecraft was expected to separate from the upper stage of the launch vehicle at 21:27 Moscow Time (1:27 p.m. EST), after reaching highly elliptical orbit around the Earth.

Statements made by the Russian space officials confirmed that the payload belonged to the Araks (Arkon) family of spacecraft developed by NPO Lavochkin. The company advertised the satellite as a dual-purpose system, designed for military and civilian observations of the Earth surface.

This was belived to be the second launch of the spacecraft of this type. The first Araks satellite was launched in June 1997.

2002 Nov. 28: The Cosmos-3M booster delivered Algerian and Russian satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit, after the launch from Russia's northern cosmodrome in Plesetsk.

A two-stage vehicle blasted off at 09:07 Moscow Time on Nov. 28, 2002, carrying AlSat-1 remote-sensing satellite for the Algerian government and the Mozhaets experimental satellite, designed for the training of the Russian military academy students.

According to the Russian Space Forces, both satellites successfully reached a 701 x 680-kilometer orbit.

2002 Dec. 24: Russian Space Forces launched a military satellite on Tuesday from their Northern Cosmodrome in Plesetsk. A four-stage Molniya-M rocket blasted off at 15:20 Moscow Time on December 24, 2002, and ten minutes later successfully delivered a classified military payload, officially identified as Cosmos-2393, to the initial Earth orbit. The spacecraft is most likely the Oko-type early-warning satellite.

The upper stage of the launch vehicle then maneuvered the satellite into highly elliptical orbit. According to official reports, the spacecraft separated from the upper stage of the launch vehicle at 16:23 Moscow Time on December 24, 2002. The satellite established contact with the ground control center at 17:05 Moscow Time.

A major fire at Russia's military ground control center near Moscow in 2001 is believed to be responsible for the loss of control over one or several satellites, providing early warning about missile attack for the Russian Ministry of Defense.

2002 Dec. 25: The Proton-K rocket blasted off from Pad 23 at Site 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 10:37 Moscow Time, carrying three Uragan-M ("Hurricane") spacecraft for the GLONASS network -- the Russian equivalent of the US Global Positioning System, GPS.

According to the official reports, the payload successfully reached the initial parking orbit at 10:48 Moscow Time. After additional maneuvers, trio of 1,425-kilogram satellites were to separate from the upper stage of the launch vehicle in their final orbit between 14:35 and 15:11 Moscow Time.

This was the first launch of the Proton rocket with the Block DM upper stage, after similar vehicle failed to deliver a commercial communications satellite into its final orbit on Nov. 26, 2002.

2003 April 2: Russia launched a communications satellite to be used by the country’s armed forces.

According to Russian Space Forces, the four-stage Molniya-M rocket blasted off from Russia’s northern cosmodrome in Plesetsk on April 2, 2003, at 05:53 Moscow Time, carrying a Molniya-1T spacecraft. The satellite separated from the fourth stage of the launch vehicle at 06:50 Moscow Time, after entering a highly-elliptical orbit around the Earth.

At 07:38 Moscow Time, the ground control station of the Russian Space Forces established contact with the spacecraft.

2003 April 24: The Proton-K rocket blasted off from Pad 24 at Site 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 08:23:13 Moscow Time, carrying a classified military payload.

According to the Russian Space Forces, VKS, the vehicle successfully reached an initial parking orbit at 8:33 Moscow Time. The Proton's upper stage then was expected to fire twice to deliver the satellite, designated Cosmos-2397, into the final orbit. The separation between the payload and the upper stage was scheduled for 15:00 Moscow Time on April 24.

The Proton rockets are routinely used for the delivery of communications and early warning satellites for the Russian military.

2003 June 4: The Russian military launched a classified payload from country's northern cosmodrome in Plesetsk on June 4, 2003. The Cosmos-3 booster blasted off at 23:23 Moscow Time and the spacecraft was expected to reach its final orbit at 00:27 Moscow Time on June 5, 2003.

The payload was officially identified as Cosmos-2398. Although no information on the purpose of the spacecraft had been released, it is known that the Cosmos-3 booster is routinely used to deliver low-orbital navigation and communication satellites for the Russian military.

2003 June 20: Russia successfully launched a military communications satellite from its northern cosmodrome in Plesetsk.

According to Russian Space Forces, a four-stage Molniya-M rocket with Block ML upper stage blasted off at midnight Moscow Time on June 20, 2003, carrying a 1,600-kilogram Molniya-type spacecraft, apparently its newest Molniya-3 version based on a Molniya-2M (11F637) platform.

This has been the second launch of the spacecraft in the Molniya family since April 2, 2003. The launch was earlier anticipated on June 19.

2003 Aug. 12: The Soyuz rocket delivered a classified military payload, possibly a Neman-type imaging surveillance satellite, after a successful launch from Kazakhstan. The Soyuz U launch vehicle, blasted off from Pad 6 at Site 31 in Baikonur Cosmodrome at 18:20 Moscow Time on August 12, 2003. According to the Starsem venture, marketing the Soyuz family of launchers in the West, the latest mission was a success. The payload received an official designation Cosmos-2399.

Don surveillance satellite hits a snag in orbit

Posted: 2003 Aug. 12; updated Nov. 25, Dec. 9, Dec. 13

The Russian rocket delivered a classified military payload, apparently a Don-type low-resolution imaging surveillance satellite, after a successful launch from Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz U launch vehicle, blasted off from Pad 6 at Site 31 in Baikonur Cosmodrome at 18:20 Moscow Time on August 12, 2003.

According to the Starsem venture, marketing the Soyuz family of launchers in the West, the latest mission was a success. The payload received an official designation Cosmos-2399. However, after only three months in orbit, in November 2003, the US radar detected five fragments in place of Cosmos-2399. It was thought that satellite either broke up or was intentionally destroyed after onboard failure. Moscow-based Kommersant daily reported on November 25, 2003 that after the loss of the Don spacecraft, Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Chief of Staff (GRU) was left without a single surveillance satellite in orbit. The newspaper said that the mission of the Don satellite was to replace the Araks satellite, which also failed prematurely in the summer of 2003 after only one year in orbit.

Hardly a day after the reports about the problems onboard Cosmos-2399 had surfaced, the Russian Space Forces denied the report about the loss of the spacecraft. Kommersant newspaper later claimed that during the jettisoning of one of eight reentry capsules designed to return information to Earth, the capsule released its surveillance film into space. "Flickering" of the film in space apparently caused three signatures on the radar, and together with the satellite and the capsule resulted in the registering of five fragments in orbit. The story continued in mid-December 2003, when 12 more fragments were detected separating from the main body of the spacecraft, renewing speculations about the destruction of the satellite. The latest debris appeared to originate in the morning Dec. 9, 2003, as the spacecraft flew over Russia, hinting that satellite might had been destroyed by a command from the ground.

2003 Dec. 5: After years of delays, the Strela booster flew its first orbital mission from Baikonur Cosmodrome. The vehicle blasted off from the underground silo facility at Site 132 at 09:00 Moscow Time on December 5, 2003. The rocket then successfully delivered its payload -- a mockup of the Condor-E surveillance satellite -- into a 404 by 465-kilometer orbit with the inclination 67 degrees. However, the press service of the Russian strategic missile forces mistakenly identified the mission as a sub-orbital training launch of the ballistic missile and the official Russian media blindly disseminated the report.

Converted from the retired UR-100NUTTKh ballistic missile, the Strela is intended to deliver a variety of lightweight military payloads developed by NPO Mashinostroenia. As of 2001, the first test launch of the Strela booster from Baikonur was expected in the second or third quarter of 2002, however lack of funding kept delaying the mission. Operational launches of the Strela booster will be conducted from the converted silo complex of the UR-100NUTTKh missile in Svobodny in the Russian Far East.

2003 Dec. 10: Russia launched three satellites to replenish the nation's GLONASS global navigation network.

The Proton rocket with Breeze M upper stage blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome on Dec. 10, 2003 at 20:42:12 Moscow Time, carrying two Uragan and one Uragan-M spacecraft. After reaching the orbit, the satellites were designated as Cosmos-2402, -2403 and -2404.

The latest launch aimed to replenish semi-military global positioning system, known as GLONASS, the Russian equivalent of the American GPS system. The network was designed to include 24 satellites evenly spread over three orbital planes, however due to lack of funds only eight satellites were functioning before the launch on Dec. 13, 2003. As a result, the GLONASS network was able to provide less accurate navigation then a completed system.

2004 Feb. 18, 10:05:55 Moscow Time (07:05 GMT): The Molniya-M booster successfully launched a military communications satellite from Plesetsk. Upon reaching its final highly elliptical orbit at 11:02 Moscow Time, the payload, (apparently a Molniya-1T No. 100) was initially identified in the Russian sources as Cosmos-2405, however was later renamed Molniya-1T.

2004 March 27: The Proton rocket with Block DM upper stage blasted off from Pad 23 at Site 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 27, 2004, at 06:30 Moscow Time, carrying a classified payload for the Soviet military. According to the Russian space forces, the spacecraft separated from its upper stage at 13:06 Moscow Time, after apparently successful launch.

Traditionally for the military spacecraft, the payload was identified as Cosmos-2406, with no details about its mission officially disclosed. However, several weeks later the spacecraft was renamed Raduga-1 -- a series of communications satellites.

According to the Russian press, Lt. General Oleg Gromov, Deputy Commander of Space Forces attended the launch.

2004 May 28: Russia launched a classified military payload to monitor foreign Navy activities. According to the Russian Space Forces, KVR, a Tsyklon-2 rocket carrying a Cosmos-series satellite blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 10:00 Moscow Time. Four minutes later, the spacecraft separated from the upper stage of the launch vehicle. The payload was identified as Cosmos-2405.

Tsyklon-2 routinely delivers US-PM electronic intelligence, ELINT, spacecraft designed to detect sea vessels by intercepting their radio signals. The information from the satellites reportedly can be used to navigate Russian cruise missiles toward their targets. This mission was originally expected at the end of 2002. A previous spacecraft of this type was launched in December 2001.

2004 June 10: A long-delayed military mission finally took off successfully from Russian launch site in Kazakhstan. The Zenit-2 rocket carrying a classified payload for the Russian Ministry of Defense blasted off from Site 43 in Baikonur Cosmodrome at 05:28 Moscow Time on June 10, 2004.

According to the Russian Space Forces, the spacecraft separated from the upper stage of the launch vehicle at 05:41 Moscow Time and successfully established radio contact with ground control. The payload was designated as Cosmos-2406. (Earlier the same designation was assigned to previous military payload, however it was later renamed, freeing the number.)

According to North American Aerospace Defense, NORAD, the Cosmos-2406 entered a 848 by 865-kilometer orbit, with the inclination 71 degrees toward the Equator.

2004 Sept. 24: Russian military launched a new generation of spacecraft designed to track military activities at sea and possibly on land through electronic signal interception, also known as ELINT.

A Soyuz-U rocket blasted off from the nation's Northern Cosmodrome in Plesetsk on September 24, 2004, at 20:50 Moscow Time, and successfully delivered a military payload designated as Cosmos-2410 nine minutes later. A State Commission led by Lt. General Vladimir Popovkin, Commander of the Russian Space Forces, KVR, oversaw the launch. According to KVR, ground control established contact with the spacecraft at 21:01 Moscow Time.

Russian media reported that the payload initiated flight testing of the new generation of spacecraft developed by TsSKB Progress in Samara and OAO MZ Arsenal in St. Petersburg. Such reports support the theory that Russia has finally introduced a long-awaited family of spacecraft, known as Liana, capable of providing electronic intelligence over both land and sea. Previously, Russia had used two specialized systems -- Tselina-2, and US-PM -- to intercept electronic signals from land and sea, respectively.

The new system could also accomplish the long-established political goal of consolidating the development of sensitive intelligence satellites inside Russia. Previously, the nation depended on KB Yuzhnoe in the former Soviet republic of Ukraine for the development and manufacturing of the Tselina-2 spacecraft.

In communication with the publisher of this web site, Ted Molczan, a prominent satellite observer, reported that Cosmos-2410 was circling the Earth in a 170 by 360-kilometer orbit, which would be too low for most electronic intelligence purposes and too elliptical for practical radar observations. If Cosmos-2410 will not maneuver into higher circular orbit in the following days, its flight profile would resemble that of a photo-reconnaissance satellite, such as Kobalt.

As it transpired later, the launch delivered the Kobalt-M photo-reconnaissance satellite, the reincarnation of the Yantar-4K2 (11F695) spacecraft. Designed for 120-day lifespan, the Kobalt-M reportedly experienced problems with its flight control system and its main reentry capsule was sent back to Earth two weeks ahead of schedule on January 10, 2005. However after weeks of search around the landing area near the city of Orenburg in southern Russia, the Russian military concluded that the lander burned up in the atmosphere, as a result of the botched reentry.

Russian military launches spysat

Published: 2006 May 5

A new imaging satellite renewed Russia's dwindling reconnaissance network. The Soyuz-U rocket blasted off from Pad 2 at Site-16 of the nation's northern cosmodrome in Plesetsk at 21:38 Moscow Time on May 3, 2006. It successfully reached the orbit at 21:47 Moscow Time, releasing a classified payload, officially identified as Cosmos-2420.

A well-informed Kommersant newspaper described the satellite as a modified version of the Yantar-4K2 (11F695) satellite designated Kobalt-M. According to the paper, the launch of the satellite was previously scheduled for the middle of May 2006, however its pre-launch processing was accelerated in light of the decommissioning of the last US-PU electronic intelligence spacecraft -- reportedly the last Russian reconnaissance asset in the Earth orbit. A 6.6-ton Kobalt-M is developed by TsSKB Progress of Samara and mass produced by OAO Arsenal of St Petersburg, the newspaper said. The satellite is designed for 120 days of orbital operations. Kommersant predicted that upon the completion of its mission, Kobalt-M would be replaced by the Don spysat, also known as Orlets-1.

The NORAD radar found Cosmos-2420 in the 167 by 337-kilometer orbit with the inclination 67.15 degrees toward the Equator, which is consistent with the orbital parameters of the Kobalt and Yantar-4KS-type satellites. It received international designation 2006-017A.

Molniya rocket launches military payload

Published: 2006 July 21

Russia launched a military payload from its Northern Cosmodrome.

A four-stage Molniya rocket lifted off from Plesetsk, carrying a military satellite, officially identified as Kosmos-2422. According to the official Russian sources, the payload successfully separated from the fourth stage of the launch vehicle at 09:16 Moscow Time.

The mission most likely carried the Oko early-warning satellite, normally injected into highly elliptical orbit, where it works in conjunction with geostationary early warning satellites launched by the Proton rockets from Baikonur Cosmodrome. The network is designed to provide Russian military and political leadership with information about launches of ballistic missiles around the world.

Russia launches spy satellite

Published: 2006 Sept. 14

The Soyuz-U rocket blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome's Site 31 at 17:41 Moscow Time on September 14, 2006. The launch vehicle carried a classified military payload, which successfully reached the orbit, according to the representative of the Russian Space Forces, KVR, Alexei Kuznetsov, quoted by RIA Novosti news agency.

According to Ivan Safronov, the expert on the military space systems, this mission marked the eighth and likely last launch of the 17F12 Don reconnaissance satellite, also known as Orlets. The spacecraft of this type, first introduced on July 18, 1989, apparently provides wide-angle detailed images, which are stored on multiple rolls of film and then can parachute to Earth on demand onboard as many as eight retrievable film capsules.

The Don spacecraft was to be replaced by a new generation satellites, which would be capable of transmitting high-resolution imagery over radio. The mission received official designation Kosmos-2423.

After around two months in orbit, on November 18, 2006, independent observers detected multiple debris in place of the satellite, apparently resulted from a self-destruct command. However, on November 20, 2006, information service of the Russian space forces denied reports that the spacecraft malfunctioned. According to the space forces, the satellite has completed its mission and conducted braking maneuver to reenter the Earth atmosphere on commands from the ground. Independent observes believed that all eight retrievable capsules onboard the satellite were released in the course of the mission.

Russia launches reconnaissance satellite

Published: 2007 June 8

The Russian military launched its first military payload Thursday, from nation's northern cosmodrome. The Soyuz-U rocket lifted off from Plesetsk on June 7, 2007, at 22:00 Moscow Time, (18:00 GMT) carrying a classified military payload, identified as Kosmos-2427 in the official Russian sources.

Based on information from the US radar, the satellite was circling the Earth in the 180 by 360-kilometer orbit with the inclination 67.15 degrees toward the Equator. Orbit parameters match those of optical reconnaissance satellites, identified in the open Russian press as Kobalt-M. According to various sources, the satellite is designed for 60-120-day operational life span and uses reentry capsules to deliver film with the images of the Earth surface.

Following the previous launch of the Kobalt-M satellite, which took place on May 3, 2006, the commander of space forces, KVR, Col-Gen Vladimir Popovkin, promised to launch one satellite of this type annually.

In the aftermath of the latest launch, emergency crews on Russia's Yamal Peninsula were searching for the stage of the Soyuz U rocket, the Russian official news agency ITAR-TASS reported. The stage reportedly impacted 60-80 kilometers from the settlement of Yar-Sale, as planned. On the eve of the launch, 65 people were evacuated from this sparsely populated area.

Russia orbits secret satellite

Published: 2007 Oct. 23

Russian space forces launched a military satellite Tuesday from Northern Cosmodrome in Plesetsk.

A four-stage Molnia-M rocket lifted off on October 23, 2007, at 08:39 Moscow Time, carrying a classified military payload into orbit. After reaching the initial parking orbit, the 2BL upper stage of the launch vehicle was then expected to maneuver the satellite into highly elliptical orbit.

According to the official statement, Russian space forces successfully established communications with the new satellite at 10:15 Moscow Time. In accordance with a traditional practice for the military payloads, the spacecraft was officially identified only as Kosmos-2430. However it is known that over the years Molnia rocket had been used to deliver Oko ("eye") series of satellites, providing Russian military with the early warning information about missile launches around the world.

Russia launches military communications satellite

Published 2007 Dec. 9; updated Dec 10

Russia successfully delivered a classified payload for the nation's armed forces, the official media reported.

Proton launches classified payload

Published: 2008 June 26

The Proton-K with Block DM upper stage rocket blasted off Site 81 in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on June 27, 2008, at 03:59 Moscow Time, the official Russian ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

According to the Russian Space Forces, VKS, the launch went as scheduled and at 04:06:30 Moscow Time, the vehicle established radio-contact with ground control. The separation between the payload and the upper stage was scheduled for 10:37 Moscow Time on June 27, 2008.

Although the nature of the payload in this mission was not officially announced prior to launch, the Proton rockets were long known to deliver two types of military satellites: the communications and early-warning satellites. Both are delivered into geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometers above the Earth surface. Following this launch, however, the semi-official Interfax news agency quoted Aleksei Kuznetsov, secretary of Defense Minister confirming that the purpose of the launch was to replenish the SPRN early-warning system. The network is known to employ 71Kh6 satellites equipped with infra-red sensors to detect exhaust plumes of missiles.

The first Soyuz-2-1b flies from Plesetsk

Published: 2008 July 27

After a one-day delay by technical problems, the Soyuz-2-1b rocket flew its first mission from Plesetsk with a new-generation military satellite. According to the official Russian press, the launch vehicle lifted off on July 26, 2008, at 22:31 Moscow Time, carrying a military satellite designed to work for seven years.

The separation of the payload from the launch vehicle was scheduled for 22:40 Moscow Time on the same day. A representative of the Russian space forces confirmed that the satellite -- Kosmos-2441 -- had successfully reached its orbit. The Western radar found the payload in the 196 by 727-kilometer orbit with the inclination 98.3 degrees toward the Equator. A second fragment from the mission, apparently an upper stage of the Soyuz-2 rocket was found in the similar orbit.

According to unofficial reports, the satellite belonged to the new Persona series of optical photo-reconnaissance satellites. With the launch mass exceeding seven tons, the spacecraft was designed to transmit high-resolution images for the use by the Main Reconnaissance Directorate of the Chief of Staff during its seven-year life span. The new vehicle would replace the Yantar-4KS2 Neman, which had to use retrievable capsules to deliver film to the ground.

However in February 2009 Rossiskaya Gazeta reported that the first Persona spacecraft failed before it had a chance to enter service due to the failure of onboard electronics. (326) According to some rumors, manufacturers blamed the loss of the satellite on the wrong choice of its orbit, which reportedly put the spacecraft on the very edge of the Earth's radiation belt.

Russia delivers classified military satellite

Published: 2008 Nov. 14

Russian military launched a secret payload from the nation's northern launch site, the official media said. The Soyuz-U rocket lifted off from Plesetsk on Nov. 14, 2008, at 18:50 Moscow Time and successfully delivered its payload into orbit nine minutes later, the representative of the Russian space forces said. The spacecraft was officially identified as Kosmos-2445. It is believed to be Kobalt-M optical reconnaissance satellite developed by TsSKB Progress in Samara and manufactured by KB Aresenal in St. Petersburg.

The spacecraft was deorbited on Feb. 23, 2009.

Russia launches military satellite

Published: 2008 Dec. 2

Russian military launched a military payload from the nation's northern launch site, the official media reported. The Molniya-M rocket lifted off from Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Dec. 2, 2008, at 08:00 Moscow Time. The classified payload received an official name Kosmos-2446. A Western radar detected the satellite in the 518 by 39,048-kilometer orbit with the inclination 62.835 degrees toward the Equator. The spacecraft is believed to be an Oko early-warning satellite.

The fourth Kobalt-M flies

Published: April 30, 2009

Russia launched an imaging reconnaissance spacecraft from its northern cosmodrome. According to the official Russian media, the Soyuz-U rocket lifted off from launch Pad 2 at Site 16 in Plesetsk on April 29, 2009, at 20:58 Moscow Time, carrying a classified satellite designated Kosmos-2450. The spacecraft successfully established contact with ground control at 21:08 Moscow Time, a representative of the Russia's space forces said.

Based on the fact the the satellite circled the Earth in the 179 by 360-kilometer orbit with the inclination 62.1 degrees, it was believed to be the fourth satellite in the Kobalt-M series.