Russian Space ForcesSoyuz 2.1b Volga43/4 (43R), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Kosmos (Unknown Payload)
Launched
April 16, 2026 · 23:17 UTC
Image: Roscosmos
Summary
Kosmos (Unknown Payload) launched on a Russian Space Forces Soyuz 2.1b Volga from 43/4 (43R), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation on April 16, 2026 at 23:17 UTC. The launch window ran from 21:00 to 16:00 UTC. It was Russian Space Forces's 155th launch, 3rd this year and humanity's 7,261st orbital launch attempt. It was the 1st Soyuz 2.1b Volga flight. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Kosmos-2609?, one of 10 catalogued objects, reached a 548 × 560 km orbit inclined 98.3°. 10 objects from this launch are catalogued, 6 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Soyuz 2.1b Volga · Russian Space Forces
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 1st Soyuz 2.1b Volga flightRussian Space Forces's 155th launch3rd this yearhumanity's 7,261st orbital launch attempt88th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Kosmos-2609? · NORAD 68754 · 2026-083 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 10 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- OBJECT B
- Object ID
- 2026-083B
- Epoch
- 2026-04-17 22:59:57 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.06506846 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00087211
- Inclination
- 98.2508°
- Ascending node
- 253.2701°
- Arg. of perigee
- 259.4892°
- Mean anomaly
- 100.5351°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 15
- B*
- 0.00015462044
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: SSO.
Catalogued objects
10 catalogued: 6 payloads, 2 rocket stages, 2 debris; 8 still in orbit
- Kosmos-2609? · NORAD 68754 · in orbit
- Kosmos-2610? · NORAD 68758 · in orbit
- Kosmos-2611? · NORAD 68759 · in orbit
- Kosmos-2612? · NORAD 68762 · in orbit
- Kosmos-2613? · NORAD 68763 · in orbit
- Kosmos-2614? · NORAD 68764 · in orbit
Soyuz-2-1b Blok-I · in orbit
Volga 14S46 No. 10? · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Unknown satellite(s) for the Russian military.
Pad
43/4 (43R), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
328th launch from 43/4 (43R), 3rd this year · 1,684th from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Local pad time at liftoff: Apr 17, 2:17 AM GMT+3, at night
329 launches from this pad · 1,688 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
24 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian FederationOpen in maps
Updates
Launch success.
Show 3 earlier updates
Tweaked estimated launch time based on orbital tracking data.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/17/2026 · source
Liftoff. Note: Launch time is approximated. Payload identities and usage of upper stage is uncertain.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/17/2026 · source
Added launch per NOTAMs; Payload and launch vehicle variant identities uncertain. Launch expected between April 13/14 - 29/30 between 21:00-16:00 UTC daily.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/11/2026 · source
Questions
When did Kosmos (Unknown Payload) launch?
Kosmos (Unknown Payload) launched on April 16, 2026 at 23:17 UTC. The launch window ran from 21:00 to 16:00 UTC.
Where can I watch Kosmos (Unknown Payload)?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Kosmos (Unknown Payload)?
Soyuz 2.1b Volga, flown by Russian Space Forces. Soyuz 2.1b Volga spec sheet
Where did Kosmos (Unknown Payload) launch from?
43/4 (43R), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation. Liftoff was Apr 17, 2:17 AM GMT+3 local time at the pad.
What orbit did Kosmos (Unknown Payload) reach?
Kosmos-2609?, one of 10 catalogued objects, reached a 548 × 560 km orbit inclined 98.3°.
How many satellites did Kosmos (Unknown Payload) launch?
6 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 6 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).