By all indications, a flight test of the Sarmat ICBM, scheduled to take place between 19 and 23 September 2024 (according to NOTAM, posted on September 17), ended in failure. Satellite images taken on 21 September 2024 show that the ..read more

On 17 September 2024, at 10:01 MSK (07:01 UTC), crews of the Air and Space Forces conducted a successful launch of an Angara 1.2 launcher from the Plesetsk test site. (Video of the launch in the MoD Telegram channel.) The ..read more

Russian ministry of defense reported that Imperator Alexander III, a Project 955A submarine, was transferred to the Pacific Fleet during the Okean-2024 exercise. In November 2023, the submarine successfully launched a Bulava ballistic missile. The launch was part of ..read more

On 17 May 2024, at 00:21:39 MSK (09:21:39 on 16 May 2024 UTC) crews of the Air and Space Forces conducted a successful launch of a Souyz-2.1b launcher from the 43/4 launch pad of the Plesetsk test site. The launcher and the Fregat booster deployed a military satellite and six small civilian spacecraft. The military satellite received the designation Cosmos-2576 and international designation 2024-092A. It was registered by NORAD as object 59773. Cosmos-2576 is believed to be a reconnaissance satellite of the Razbeg/MKA-V type. The satellite is deployed on sun-synchronous orbit with the altitud ..read more

Starting in September 2021, Russia has launched a series of small experimental satellites the purpose of which is not entirely clear. In previous posts they have been sometimes identified as EO MKA (probably зкспериментальный образец малого космического аппарата) and sometimes Razbeg. This post collects some information about the satellites (h/t BH), primarily to serve as a reference for corrections in previous posts. It will be updated as necessary. The first in the series of EO MKA is believed to be Cosmos-2551, launched in September 2021. It was followed by Cosmos-2555 in April 2022, Cosmos ..read more

On 9 February 2024, at 10:03:44 MSK (07:03:44 UTC) crews of the Air and Space Forces conducted a successful launch of a Souyz-2.1v launcher from the 43/4 launch pad of the Plesetsk test site. The satellite delivered into orbit was designated Cosmos-2575. It received international designation 2024-026A and registered by NORAD as object 58929. Cosmos-2575 was deployed on a circular orbit with altitude of about 330 km, which suggests that it is similar to the small imaging satellites of the EO MKA/Razbeg type. It is believed to be the second Razbeg/MKA-V satellite. Previous launch of a satellite ..read more

On 27 December 2023, at 10:03:44 MSK (07:03:44 UTC) crews of the Air and Space Forces conducted a successful launch of a Souyz-2.1v launcher from the 43/4 launch pad of the Plesetsk test site. The satellite delivered into orbit was designated Cosmos-2574. It received international designation 2023-209A and registered by NORAD as object 58658. Cosmos-2574 was deployed on a circular orbit with altitude of about 330 km, which suggests that it is similar to the small imaging satellites of the EO MKA/Razbeg type. It is believed to be a Razbeg #1/MKA-V satellite. Previous launch of a satellite of t ..read more

On 21 December 2023, at 11:48:39 MSK (08:48:39 UTC) crews of the Air and Space Forces conducted a successful launch of a Soyuz 2.1a launcher* from the launch pad No. 4 of the launch complex No. 43 of the Plesetsk test site. According to an official statement, the satellite is designated Cosmos-2573. It was registered as object 58614 by NORAD and received international designation 2023-201A. The satellite delivered into orbit is believed to be a digital cartographic satellite 14F148 Bars-M. This is the fifth launch of satellites of the Bars-M type. The previous launch took place in March 2023 ..read more

On 25 November 2023, at 23:58:07 MSK (20:58:07 UTC) crews of the Air and Space Forces conducted a successful launch of a Souyz-2.1b launcher from the 43/4 launch pad of the Plesetsk test site. The satellite delivered into orbit was designated Cosmos-2572. It received international designation 2023-182A and registered by NORAD as object 58435. Cosmos-2572 was deployed on a circular orbit with altitude of about 300 km. It is believed to be the first optical reconnaissance satellite of a new type, known as 4F156 Razdan ..read more

On 12 April 2024 at about 16:00 UTC the Strategic Rocket Forces conducted a successful launch of "an intercontinental ballistic missile from a road-mobile launcher." According to the official statement (safe link on Telegram, video of the launch), the launch was "part of the state tests of advanced missile systems" and it was also used "to confirm the stability of the currently deployed missile systems." The test is reported to be fully successful. The missile is believed to be a modified Topol-M ICBM, sometimes referred to as Topol-ME, used to test re-entry vehicles of intercontinental ballis ..read more