Angara 1.2 | 3 x Rodnik (Kosmos 2597, 2598, 2599)
Angara 1.2 • Angara
📝 Mission Description
This Angara 1.2 launch carries the Angara 1.2 | 3 x Rodnik (Kosmos 2597, 2598, 2599) mission, scheduled for November 25, 2025. The mission aims to deliver important payloads to orbit, contributing to our understanding of space and advancing technological capabilities.
ℹ️ Official Details
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.
🎯 Post-Launch Analysis
Post-Launch Analysis: Angara 1.2 | 3 x Rodnik (Kosmos 2597, 2598, 2599)
The Angara 1.2 launch on November 25, 2025, marks another successful milestone for Russia’s modernized space launch capabilities. The mission achieved precise orbital insertion and successful deployment of three presumed Rodnik (Strela-3/3M) military communication satellites, tentatively designated Kosmos 2597-2599. Technical performance of the Angara 1.2 was exemplary, reinforcing its reliability as a medium-lift vehicle and validating its role in replacing legacy launch systems like Rokot.
Payload deployment occurred as planned, with the satellites likely positioned in low Earth orbit across two orbital planes, maintaining the operational constellation for secure store-and-forward communications. This mission underscores the Angara family’s engineering robustness, particularly in multi-payload configurations. Lessons learned will refine upper-stage precision and payload separation mechanisms. Strategically, this success bolsters Russia’s military space infrastructure and signals Angara’s readiness for diverse future missions, cementing its place in national space strategy.