MOSCOW, July 22 (Xinhua) -- A Russian carrier rocket sent a German reconnaissance satellite into orbit on Tuesday, a Space Forces spokesman said.
"A Kosmos 3M carrier rocket, launched at 6:40 a.m. Moscow time (0240 GMT) from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia, has successfully orbited a German SAR-Lupe satellite," Lt. Col. AlexeiZolotukhin was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.
Control over the satellite has been passed to the customer, he added.
The German satellite, the fifth of its kind, is designed to provide high-resolution radar images to NATO military commanders in Europe. It will offer spatial resolution of less than one meter and allow imaging at night and through clouds.
Russia's Space Forces previously conducted four SAR-Lupe launches during2006-2008, under an agreement in 2003 with German aeronautics company OHB-System.
