Soyuz-2.1b From Vostochny Places Aist-2T Pair in Orbit, Begins Deploying 50 Smallsats
The rideshare mission showcases Russia’s Vostochny launch cadence plus a growing smallsat hosting ecosystem.
Overview
- Roscosmos confirmed liftoff at 16:18 Moscow time (13:18 GMT) and successful separation of the Fregat upper stage from the Soyuz third stage.
- The Fregat booster inserted Aist-2T No. 1 and No. 2 into their designated orbit, with the pair separating from the upper stage as planned.
- Deployment of 50 accompanying small spacecraft is underway according to the mission timeline reported by TASS and Roscosmos.
- Manifest highlights include Lobachevsky, Scorpion, Polytech Univers-6, Khors No. 5, Vladivostok-2, MorSat-1, plus a RUVDS platform released via the Mule 4T device from OKB Pyatoye Pokolenie.
- Aist-2T satellites provide stereoscopic Earth imaging for digital terrain models and emergency monitoring with a planned service life of at least five years.