Russia's Meridian military communications satellite that was launched earlier on Tuesday from Plesetsk cosmodrome, has separated from Fregat upper stage and has been placed into calculated orbit, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
"At 8.56 a.m. Moscow time [5:56 GMT], the operational crew of the Aerospace Forces' Space Forces launched successfully Soyuz-2.1a medium-lift carrier rocket with Meridian satellite from the fourth launching mount of the 43rd platform of the State Test Cosmodrome Plesetsk (Arkhangelsk region)," the Defence Ministry said.
The pre-launch operations and the launch went properly, the ministry noted. An automated ground control unit was monitoring the launch and the flight.
"The spacehead of Soyuz-2.1a medium-lift carrier rocket, in assembly with Fregat upper stage and Meridian satellite, separated regularly from the third stage of the carrier at estimated time (9.05 a.m. Moscow time)," the Defence Ministry added.
It will take several hours to launch the spacecraft into the intended orbit using Fregat's propulsion installation, the ministry added.
