Soyuz 2.1b carrying Iranian satellite blasts off from Baikonur

BAIKONUR. KAZINFORM Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket carrying a group of satellites blasted off from launch pad No31 of Baikonur cosmodrome at 11:55 am Nur-Sultan time today, Kazinform reports.

The carrier rocket with Fregat upper-stage will bring Khayyam remote sensing satellite into orbit under an order of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Apart from the Iranian satellite, the Soyuz-2.1b will carry 16 small spacecraft designed by the leading Russian universities, commercial companies an non-commercial organizations for scientific and technological researches.

The launch was carried out in a routine mode.

After the planned separation of the stages of the carrier-rocket, Fregat upper stage will bring the satellites into the specified orbits.