On June 15, 2010 the Strategic Rocket Forces successfully launched an RS-20B/R-36MUTTH missile from a silo launcher at Yasnyy/Dombarovsky. The launch took place at 18:42:16 MSK (14:42:16 UTC). The missile, configured as a Dnepr space launcher, delivered into orbit Prisma satellites of the Sweden Space Corporation and the French Picard. The missile also delivered into space BPA-1 (Advanced Avionics Block-1), a Ukrainian payload that was not supposed to separate from the third stage. The satellites were deployed on a circular orbit with perigee of 730 km and inclination of 98.28 degrees.
According to Kosmotras, this is the 14th successful Dnepr launch and the fourth launch from Yasnyy/Dombarovsky. Previous launch of the Dnepr program took place in April 2010 from Baykonur.
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Comments
//a circular orbit with perigee of 73 km
looks like a typo ;)
Yes, of course, it's 730 km. Thank you.
Hi,
just some technical questions: Is the launch canister containing the missile reusable? And can only MIRV versions of the R-36MU be used as SLV or also the single-warhead missiles?
I would seriously doubt that the canister can be reused. The silo, however, can be - it is a cold launch. As for MIRVed/single warhead, I don't see why missiles that were deployed with a single-warhead cannot be used as space launchers.
Hi,
Thanks for the reply. For the RV/MIRV question, as far as I know the Dnepr uses the modified MIRV PBV for orbit injection of the satellites and I wonder if also the single warhead PBV could be modified that way.
The German radar satellite TanDEM-X was successfully launched from Baikonur, Kazachstan, at 04.14 hrs CET on Monday, June 21
http://www.tvroscosmos.ru/frm/video/start75.php