Ukraine's Tsyklon-3 LV places Russian research spacecraft in orbit

The Ukrainian Tsyklon-3 Launch Vehicle has successfully placed the Koronas-Photon research spacecraft in orbit.

As Interfax-Ukraine learned at the press center of the Dnipropetrovsk-based Pivdenne Design Bureau, the launch vehicle took off from Plesetsk cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk region on January 30 at 1530 Kyiv time.

Tsyklon-3 carrier rocket was developed by Pivdenne Design Bureau and produced by Pivdennemash production amalgamation.

According to the Pivdenne Design Bureau, this was the 122th launch of Tsyklon rocket.

The Tsyklon Launch Vehicle program will be implemented in the frames of the international project for the launch of Tsyklon-4 from Alcantara space center (Brazil), the press service said.

As reported earlier, Ukraine and Brazil signed an agreement on long-term cooperation in the use of the Tsyklon-4 rocket at the Alcantara space center in Brazil in October of 2003.

The first launch of the rocket from the Alcantara space center has been scheduled for 2010.