Posted: Thu, Dec 22, 2005, 11:40 AM ET (1640 GMT)
A Kosmos rocket successfully launched two low Earth orbit communications satellites on Wednesday. The Kosmos-3M booster lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia at 2:34 pm EST (1934 GMT) Wednesday. On board the rocket were two Gonets communications satellites, one intended for civil use and the other for the military. The civil Gonets-D1M in particular will be used for a variety of data services, including relaying short messages and emails and cargo monitoring. The launch had been scheduled for Tuesday but was delayed by a problem with a battery on the rocket's second stage.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now article
•  RIA Novosti article
•  Itar-Tass article