In a late year launch (Russian launches are often timed for the “Western” Christmas period) a Rockot/Breeze KM launch vehicle launched the Gonets M-14, M-15 and M-16 civilian “store-forward” communication satellites for JSC Gonets SatCom. The launch took place from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia at 2311 GMT on 26 December.
The Gonets satellites are a copy of the Strela type military store forward satellites. The launch also carried the Russian-owned Blits M retro-reflector satellite which will be used by the International Laser Ranging Service.
Phil Hylands contributed to this report.