At 2030 GMT on 7 August 2023, a Soyuz 2-1b Fregat successfully launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia carrying the Glonass K2-13 military navigation satellite to its operating position in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). Glonass-K2 (Uragan K2) spacecraft normally have a mass of 1,645 kg mass and an operational lifetime of 10 years. This particular spacecraft also carries additional payloads including SKYaI for nuclear detection, a COSPAS/SARSAT search and rescue transponder. It also carries ‘Ruveta’, a Russian Signals intelligence system.
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Russian Aerospace Forces