10:19 21.11.2013

Foreign satellites launched by Dnepr rocket put into orbit

2 min read

A Dnepr rocket carrier has put several foreign satellites into their designated orbits.

"All spacecraft have successfully detached from the booster. A command has been given to make the separation maneuver," it was announced in the observation center of the Yasny launch site.

The rocket was launched at 11:10 a.m. Moscow time. It took 15 minutes to bring the satellites to their designated orbits.

The rocket carries a cluster of satellites from a number of countries: DubaiSat-2 (the United Arab Emirates), STSat-3 (South Korea), UniSat-5 (Italy), SkySat-1 and AprizeSat-7/8 (both the United States), Brite-PL (Poland), GOMX-1 (Denmark), WNISat (Canada), and nine ISIPOD containers with 14 CubeSat nanosatellites (the Netherlands) and BPA-3 satellite (Ukraine).

According to the flight sequence, large satellites, including DubaiSat-2, detached first. CubeSat nanosatellites followed them. All the satellites will detach from the rocket within one minute.

The DubaiSat-2 Earth-remote sensing satellite is the largest in the cluster. It weighs approximately 300 kilograms. The STSat-3 astronomical satellite weighing 170 kilograms is the second largest in the cluster.

Dnepr rockets are converted from RS-20 Voyevoda intercontinental ballistic missiles (NATO reporting name SS-18 Satan). The Kosmotras international space company operates the conversion program. The company launches small satellites from Baikonur and from the Yasny launch site in Russia's Orenburg region.

The consortium has carried out 17 successful Dnepr launches since 1999.

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