On June 27, 2011 at 20:00 MSK (16:00 UTC) the Space Forces successfully launched a Soyuz-U rocket from launch pad No. 2 of the launch complex No. 16 of the Plesetsk launch site. The satellite that was successfully delivered to orbit was designated Cosmos-2472. It is believed to be an optical reconnaissance satellite of the Kobalt-M type.

The spacecraft was registered in the U.S. Space Command catalog as the object no. 37726. It received international designation 2011-028A. According to the NORAD data, it was deployed in an orbit with perigee of about 197 km, apogee of about 275 km, and orbital period of about 89 minutes. As some reports suggested, the spacecraft was deployed in an orbit with inclination of 81.4 degrees, which is fairly unusual for satellites of this type. The last Kobalt-M satellite, Cosmos-2462, launched in April 2010, was deployed in an orbit with inclination of 67.2 degrees.

[06/29/11: Edited to include NORAD data and parameters of the orbit]