A Rokot launch vehicle powered with a Briz-KM upper stage has delivered three defense satellites to a final orbit, Russian Defense Ministry press service and information department spokesman for the Aerospace Defense Forces Col. Alexei Zolotukhin told Interfax-AVN on the phone.

"The defense satellite cluster has successfully reached the final orbit," Zolotukhin said. Ground stations of the Russian Defense Ministry automated network took control of the satellites to guide them through the period of their service life, he added. Once the satellites were inserted into orbit, they acquired reporting names Cosmos-2496, Cosmos-2497 and Cosmos-2498. The light launch vehicle Rokot is a derivative from the RS-18 ICBM made by the Khrunichev Space Center.

Rokot is comprised of the first and second stages packed in a transport launch container, a Briz-KM third stage, a payload fairing, a coupling, an intermediate section and a payload section. The first Rokot launch from Plesetsk was conducted on May 16, 2000. As of now, 21 Rokot missions have been accomplished. Meanwhile, a source in the rocket and space industry told Interfax-AVN that the Briz-KM and the satellites were supposed to separate from the Rokot second stage at 9:33 am Moscow time.

The satellite cluster mass stands at approximately 950 kilograms. This is the 11th space launch done by Russia in 2014. One mission, the launch of the Express-AM4R satellite with a Proton-M rocket, failed. The satellite was lost because of a third stage engine glitch. The Khrunichev Space Center is the builder of Proton-M.

Russia launches rocket with three military satellites from Plesetsk space center

The Rokot launch vehicle with a batch of military satellites has been set off from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry's Aerospace Defense Forces Colonel Valery Zolotukhin told ITAR-TASS on Friday.

"On Friday, May 23, 2014, an operational crew of the Aerospace Defense Forces at 09:27 Moscow time (05:27) carried out a successful launch of the Rokot light rocket carrier with a batch of military satellites from launch pad No.133," Zolotukhin said.

He added that the Rokot launch had been carried out "under the general supervision of Commander of the Aerospace Defense Forces Lieutenant General Alexander Golovko."

The calculated time of the three satellites' placement into the final transfer orbit is 11:12 Moscow time (07:12 GMT) on May 23.

Source: Voice of Russia