Aerospace Forces launched the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, reported in his telegram channel, the Ministry of Defense of Russia.
“On Thursday, March 23 at 09:40 a.m., from the State Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Plesetsk Cosmodrome) in the Arkhangelsk region, space force combat crews of the Aerospace Forces conducted launched the Soyuz-2.1 a medium-class launcher with a spacecraft (KA) in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense,” the statement said. The ministry did not give further details on the launch.
In 2023, it is already the fifth launch of a Russian rocket, the third launch of a Soyuz rocket and the first from Plesetsk. In 2022, 13 of the 22 Russian rocket launches took place from this cosmodrome.
With the help of the Soyuz-2.1a launcher, various satellites, including commercial ones, and spacecraft are launched into space: automatic Progress MS, as well as manned Soyuz MS, which deliver cargo and crews to the ISS
In February in Japan, the first launch of a new launcher in 29 years ended in failure. The H3 rocket failed to lift off. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said it was investigating the cause of the failure. The launcher was loaded with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation’s ALOS-3 ground surveillance satellite, which is equipped with equipment capable of, among other things, detecting North Korean ballistic missiles. The initial launch of the H3 was supposed to take place in 2021, but it was postponed due to difficulties in the development of the engine system.
