A Russian Rockot/Breeze KM launch vehicle successfully launched three Gonets store-forward communications satellites for the Smolsat organisation at 2323 GMT from the Plesetsk launch site in Northern Russia. The spacecraft, Gonets M-05, M-6 and M-07, which are civilian versions of the Russian Strela-3 series of military store-forward satellites, were deployed into near circular 1494 x 1510 km orbit at an inclination of 82.5 degrees relative to the equator.
The flight marked a successful return to operaton for the Rockot launch vehicle. On its previous flight on 15 January 2013, the RockOt’s Breeze-KM (Briz-KM) upper stage failed to deliver three military Strela-3m/Rodnik-S satellites into their designated orbits. As a result, while COSMOS 2482 and COSMOS 2484 were recovered by raising their apogees, COSMOS 2483 was lost.,
