MOSCOW. Nov 28 (Interfax-AVN) - A lightweight Cosmos-3M rocket loaded with two satellites was launched from Russia's northern space center in Plesetsk in the Arkhangelsk region at 9:07 a.m. Moscow time (0607 GMT) Thursday, the Russian Space Forces' press service told Interfax.
The rocket should place the Russia's Mozhayets micro- satellite and the Algerian satellite AlSat-1 into orbit. The launch was handled by the Russian Space Troops.
The Mozhayets, which weighs at 90 kilos, is designed for academic and research purposes, which involves developing technologies for using navigation equipment for clients of the GLONASS and Navstar navigation systems. This satellite should also be used to estimate the influence of radiation fluxes on the service life of onboard electronic systems in outer space.
The AlSat-1, which also weighs 90 kilos, is part of an international satellite system for monitoring emergencies. This spacecraft is a product of international cooperation between Algeria, China, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam coordinated by the British company SSTL. The maximum distance of the orbits of the two spacecraft should be 701 kilometers from Earth and the minimum distance should be 680 kilometers.