MOSCOW. Dec 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The ballistic existence of the Russian remote sensing satellite Kanopus-ST launched on December 5 will cease in a few hours, a source in the Russian rocket and space industry told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday.
"According to the preliminary forecast, which is being constantly updated, Kanopus-ST [Kosmos-2511] will enter dense layers of the atmosphere above the Atlantic Ocean, west of Angola," he said.
So far, three objects created by the launch of a Soyuz-2.1v rocket from the Plesetsk spaceport on December 5 can be observed in orbit.
The Volga booster has received the international catalogue number 2015-071C, and Kosmos-2511 and Kosmos-2512 satellites have the numbers 2015-071A and 2015-071B, respectively.
The Russian Defense Ministry, the owner of the satellites, has not commented on the situation.