MOSCOW. Nov 9 (Interfax-AVN) - A new medium launch vehicle, Soyuz-2, successfully took off from the Plesetsk space center in the Arkhangelsk region at 9:30 p.m. Moscow time (1830 GMT) on Monday, the press service of the Space Forces told Interfax-Military News Agency.
It took a mockup of a satellite to a planned altitude.
Space Forces Commander Vladimir Popovkin followed the launch.
The takeoff was initially scheduled for October 29 but was later postponed twice for technical reasons.
The press service said the test of the new launch vehicle is very important because it is giving Russia a chance to launch military satellites with its own launch vehicles and from its own territory.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov earlier told reporters that if the takeoff of Soyuz-2 succeeds, the launch vehicle will be used abroad, from the Kourou space center in French Guiana as well as in Russia.
He said that the 100% Russian-made Soyuz-2 can be used for civilian and commercial as well as military missions.