A Soyuz 2.1b rocket successfully launched from Vostochny Cosmodrome in Siberia today, July 25, at 8:54 a.m. Moscow time. This mission carried Russia's Ionosfera-M 3 and 4 satellites towards Earth orbit.
Beyond the primary Russian payloads, the Soyuz also deployed 18 secondary payloads, as reported by RussianSpaceWeb.com. Notably, this manifest included Nahid-2, an Iranian communications satellite, marking a significant international collaboration in space.
The initial stages of the launch proceeded flawlessly, with the Russian space agency Roscosmos providing a live stream. While the webcast concluded approximately 10 minutes post-launch, further updates on satellite deployments are anticipated directly from the agency.
These newly launched Ionosfera-M 3 and 4 satellites will complete a mini-constellation, joining the first two Ionosfera-M satellites launched in November 2024. This quartet will orbit approximately 509 miles (820 kilometers) above Earth.
The Ionosfera constellation is specifically designed to monitor space weather phenomena. This includes tracking the impact of solar wind on near-Earth space, which can significantly affect both civilian and military systems. Their focus is the ionosphere, a crucial atmospheric layer.
Ionosfera-M 3 and 4 are strategically headed for an orbital plane perpendicular to their predecessors. This configuration will "greatly expand the three-dimensional coverage of the Earth's magnetosphere." Additionally, this second pair will uniquely carry the Ozonometr-TM instrument to measure upper atmosphere ozone levels.
Source: https://www.russianspaceweb.com/ionosfera-3-4.html