spacetoday.net: Russia launches foreign military satellite

Russia launches foreign military satellite

Posted: Sat, Dec 20, 2014, 1:15 PM ET (1815 GMT)
Strela launch of Kondor-E (Roscosmos)

A Russian Strela rocket placed a reconnaissance satellite into orbit on Friday that Russian officials said was for a foreign customer, widely believed to be South Africa. The Strela rocket, a converted SS-19 ICBM, lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11:43 pm EST Thursday (0443 GMT Friday) and placed the Kondor-E satellite into orbit. The spacecraft, built by NPO Mashinostroyeniya, carries a radar imaging payload. Russian officials said the satellite was built for another nation, but did not disclose the customer. Media reports indicate that South Africa is the customer under a contract it has with the company dating back to 2006.