Overview
- Russia’s Defense Ministry launched a Soyuz‑2.1a from Plesetsk on December 25 at 17:11 MSK and published video of the liftoff.
- The spacecraft reached its planned orbit, was taken under ground control, and is operating normally with stable telemetry.
- Roscosmos announced a Soyuz‑2.1b mission from Vostochny to deploy 52 spacecraft as the country’s final launch of 2025.
- The payload list includes Aist‑2T Nos. 1 and 2 for Earth stereometric imaging plus student-built satellites from Bauman MSTU, MAI, FEFU, and Amur State University, with liftoff expected late this week.
- China’s CASC reported a fully successful Changzheng‑8A flight from Wenchang that placed low‑Earth internet satellites in orbit at 07:26 local time.