Russia today successfully launched a military satellite that, according to specialized media, appears to be part of its space missile shield, about which very few details have been revealed.
The satellite was launched at 03:09 (Greek time) from the Plesetsk spaceport, in northwestern Russia, with a Soyuz 2.1B rocket, according to images transmitted by the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
The satellite was “successfully launched into orbit on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Defense,” the ministry said, without elaborating, according to the Interfax news agency.
According to Spaceflightnow, which specializes in space launches, this satellite is most likely a “Toundra” early warning device, such as those already launched from Russia in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
According to another Russian-language media outlet, Russianspaceweb, the satellite launched today is part of the mysterious “Koupol” space missile, about which Moscow revealed a few details in December 2019.
The system is intended to track the launch of ballistic missiles from space, their course and their target area, according to documents then presented by the Russian General Staff.
The full composition of “Koupol”, which is considered the equivalent of the American SBIRS system, is not known.
Russia, which already has a “space force” integrated into the Air Force since 2015, whose main role is anti-missile, has been accused for years of militarizing space. Moscow blames the United States for the same reason.
.
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
