Angara 1.2 | 3 x Rodnik (Kosmos 2585, 2586, 2587)

mission

Name

3 x Rodnik (Kosmos 2585, 2586, 2587)

Type

Government/Top Secret

Target orbit

Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Note: Payload identity and Cosmos series numbering not confirmed. The Strela (Russian: Стрела) are Soviet, then Russian, military space telecommunication satellites, in use since 1964. These satellites operate as mailboxes ("store-and-forward"): they remember the received messages and then resend them after the scheduled time, or by a command from the Earth. They can serve for up to five years. The satellites are used for transmission of encrypted messages and images. The operational constellation consists of 12 satellites in two orbital planes, spaced 90° apart. The spacecraft had a cylindrical body with a gravity-gradient boom, which was extended on-orbit to provide passive attitude stabilization. On-board storage was 12 Mbits of data, with a transmission rate of 2.4 kbit/s. The first three satellites were launched in 1964 by a Cosmos launcher. After one year of service, new and improved satellites were launched, called Strela-2. In 1970, these satellites were modernized, and became the Strela-1M and Strela-2M satellites. From 1985, these satellites will be gradually replaced by Strela-3, and then by Strela-3M from 2005. A civilian version of these satellites was created, called Goniets. Initially they were launched in groups of six on Tsyklon; when the launcher was retired, they were only launched by two on Cosmos, before Rokot was put into service and allowed the sending of triplets of Strela satellites.

schedule

NET (no earlier than)

Mar 16, 2025, 10:49 UTC

Window opens

Mar 16, 2025, 10:30 UTC

Window closes

Mar 16, 2025, 11:30 UTC

Last updated

Apr 11, 2026, 03:41 UTC

vehicle & provider

Rocket

Angara 1.2

Family

Angara

Variant

1.2

Provider

Russian Space Forces

Type

Government

Country

RUS

webcasts

• Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center 3 x Rodnik (Kosmos 2585, 2586, 2587)