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Soyuz-2.1b Launch Delivers Aist-2T Pair and 50 Rideshare Satellites From Vostochny

The mission also marked Russia’s debut of leasing-financed Earth‑observation satellites.

Overview

  • Roscosmos confirmed that Aist‑2T satellites No. 1 and No. 2 separated from the Fregat stage into their target orbit for stereoscopic Earth imaging and 3D terrain modeling.
  • Fregat completed a multi-burn sequence to deploy a total of 52 spacecraft, including MSU’s 16U Scorpion cubesat for cosmic radiation studies, which reached its intended orbit.
  • GTLK and Sputniks reported the first Russian deployment of leasing-backed Zorkiy‑2M Earth‑observation satellites, with on‑orbit acceptance testing planned before handover under the lease.
  • The first four Grifon optical‑electronic satellites were among the secondaries, initiating a constellation whose wider rollout is planned to begin in 2026.
  • Yakutia’s student-built Cholbon, the region’s first satellite, was placed into a sun‑synchronous orbit at about 550 kilometers for educational experiments.