MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Rokot launch vehicle lifted off from the Plesetsk space center in northwestern Russia.
The Rokot, 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 Sentinel-3A is the third satellite launched for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring program.
