Posted: Mon, Jun 10, 2013, 6:12 AM ET (1012 GMT)
A Soyuz rocket placed a sophisticated reconnaissance satellite for the Russian military into orbit on Friday. The Soyuz 2-1b rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia at 2:37 pm EDT (1837 GMT) and placed the Kosmos-2486 satellite into orbit. The satellite is believed to be the second in the Persona class of advanced reconnaissance satellites. The first Persona satellite failed shortly after launch in 2008.

Related Links:

•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  Itar-Tass article