Posted: Wed, Dec 25, 2013, 9:43 AM ET (1443 GMT)
A Rockot booster launched three Russian military satellites early Wednesday. The Rockot lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia at 7:31 pm EST Tuesday (0031 GMT, 4:31 am Moscow time Wednesday) and placed the Cosmos 2488, 2489, and 2490 satellites into a 1,500-kilometers circular polar orbit. Russian officials did not disclose the mission of the satellites, beyond serving the Russian military, but the three satellites are believed to be part of the Rodnik series of store-and-forward communications satellites.

Related Links:

•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  RIA Novosti article
•  Itar-Tass article
•  Interfax article