STORY: :: Russia launches a Soyuz rocket into space carrying dozens of satellites, including two from Iran
:: November 5, 2024
:: Vosctochny, Russia
::Roskosmos
The Soyuz-2.1 launch spacecraft, which lifted off from Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome, carried two Ionosfera-M satellites, which will become part of the space system for monitoring Earth's ionosphere, Roscosmos said.
Each Ionosfera-M satellite weighs 430 kg and its operating orbit is at an altitude of 820 km, according to the Interfax news agency.
The system will include a total of four of the Ionosfera-M satellites. The next two devices are expected to launch in 2025, Roscosmos reported.
Among the 53 small satellites are two Iranian satellites, Kowsar, a high-resolution imaging satellite, and Hodhod, a small communications satellite, as well as the first Russian-Chinese student satellite Druzhba ATURK.
Russia launched an Iranian research satellite into space in February that will scan Iran's topography from orbit, Iranian state media reported at the time.
