Two boosters to enter orbit from Russian launch sites of Baikonur and Plesetsk

Preparations to launch the Rokot booster have entered the final stage at the Plesetsk test launch site. According to the press service of the Russian Space Troops /RST/, units assigned to the launch site in conjunction with experts from the State Space Scientific and Production Centre named after Khrunichev are attaching a post-boost vehicle to the Rokot light booster. The rocket has already been installed on a launch pod. The vehicle contains two Iridium communication satellites /USA/ attached to the Briz-KM boost block. The Rokot will be launched on June 19th.

A Proton-K heavy booster is being simultaneously prepared for a launch from another Russian launch site - Baikonur /Kazakhstan/. On Thursday, Russian experts assembled the post-boost vehicle with the Echostar-8 telecommunications satellite /USA/ inside. The satellite will be subsequently attached to the DM boost block. According to the RST press service, the launch will be performed on June 22nd.