MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday plans to launch a Rokot carrier rocket from the Plesetsk space center in northwestern Russia to put Rodnik communications satellites into orbit, the ministry's press service announced Monday.
The Rokot launch vehicle, developed by the Russian state-run Khrunichev Center, is a modification of the RS-18 (SS-19 Stiletto) two-stage ballistic missile that is being decommissioned from Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces.
The Rodnik satellite is a telecommunication vehicle designed to establish communications between remote areas that lack proper communication connections. As Rodnik passes over a territory, the satellite’s systems collect messages which they then downlink once they reach the designated recipient.
