Soyuz launches a military mission (original) (raw)
Soyuz launches a military mission
A Soyuz-2-1a rocket launched a classified payload from the Plesetsk, north of Moscow, on Oct. 31, 2024, which is believed to be the sixth satellite in the Bars-M series of cartographic satellites.
Previous Bars-M launch: 2023 Dec. 21
Soyuz rocket mission on Oct. 31, 2024, at a glance:
| Spacecraft designation | Kosmos-2579 (Bars-M 14F148 No. 6) |
|---|---|
| Launch date and time | 2024 Oct. 31, 10:51:31 Moscow Time |
| Launch vehicle | |
| Payload fairing | 17S13A |
| Launch site |
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In October 2024, Russian authorities issued a warning to air and sea traffic about an upcoming rocket launch between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, 2024.
It restricted several areas off the Russian Northern coast for impact of rocket components, which matched the ascent trajectory to an orbit with an inclination around 97 degrees toward the Equator.
On Oct. 31, 2024, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a Soyuz-2-1a rocket had lifted off from Plesetsk at 10:51 Moscow Time (3:51 a.m. EST, 07:51 UTC) and successfully delivered a military satellite.
The official statement from the Ministry of Defense said that the spacecraft had been successfully inserted into its planned orbit and that it had been taken under control by ground assets of the Russian Air and Space Forces, VKS.
The expected ground track of the ascent trajectory for Soyuz rocket during launch on Oct 31, 2024.
According to the tracking information from the US Space Force, the payload was inserted into a 338 by 498-kilometers sun-synchronous orbit with an inclination of 97.6 degrees toward the Equator, which matched orbital parameters of Bars-M cartographic satellites. The rocket's third stage was in a similar orbit:
| ID | NORAD ID | Orbital period | Inclination | Perigee | Apogee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-197A | 61730 | 92.95 minutes | 97.5693 degrees | 338.440 kilometers | 497.930 kilometers |
| 2024-197B | 61731 | 92.92 minutes | 97.5656 degrees | 337.879 kilometers | 492.766 kilometers |
It was indirectly confirmed by RKTs Progress, the prime developer of the Bars-M series, who had updated its public count of its orbited satellites to 1,001 within hours after the launch.
By the end of the first week of November 2024, Kosmos-2579 climbed to a 508 by 496-kilometer near-circular orbit, typically for the Bars-M series.
To be continued
The article, graphics and illustrations by Anatoly Zak; Last update:November 8, 2024
Page editor: Alain Chabot
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