The Russian military launched on Tuesday a light-class Rokot carrier rocket to put the European Sentinel-3A earth remote-sensing satellite into orbit.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Rokot launch vehicle lifted off from the Plesetsk space center in northwestern Russia.
The Rokot, developed by the Russian state-run Khrunichev Center, is a modification of the RS-18 (SS-19 Stiletto) two-stage ballistic missile that is being decommissioned from Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces.
The Sentinel-3A is the third satellite launched for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring program.
