On September 11, 2013 at 23:23 UTC (on September 12 at 03:23 Moscow time) the Russian "Rockot” rocket-carrier was launched by the units of Russian Aerospace Defence Forces from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, North of Russia. The rocket orbited three "Gonets-M” communications satellites. Gonets means a messenger in Russian. The light-class "Rokot” rocket-carrier is a modified version of the Russian RS-18 (SS-19 Stiletto) intercontinental ballistic missile. It uses the two original lower stages of the ICBM, in conjunction with an upper-stage block containing the Briz-KM booster and space-bound payloads. The Gonets-M satellites will be part of Russia’s low-orbit grouping of telecoms satellites designed to provide communications services for remote areas of Russia.
