The heavy-lift Proton-M rocket with the Elektro-L No. 5 satellite has been installed at the launch complex of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. After verticalization, Roscosmos specialists began final preparations for the rocket launch, the state corporation said.
The launch is scheduled for December 15 at 15:20 Moscow time. The spacecraft will put the Elektro-L No. 5 hydrometeorological satellite into geostationary orbit, designed to obtain multispectral images of clouds and the Earth's surface, as well as to transmit meteorological and helio-geophysical data. The satellite is capable of relaying signals from emergency radio beacons of the international COSPAS-SARSAT system.
The Elektro-L series of spacecraft operate at an altitude of about 36,000 kilometers, providing continuous coverage of the same territory of the Earth. The first satellite was launched in 2011, the second in 2015, and the third in 2019. They continue to function, providing Roshydromet with up-to-date data for weather analysis and forecasting.
The launch of Elektro-L No. 5 will be an important step in the development of the domestic meteorological orbital group and will improve the accuracy of climate monitoring and forecasting of natural phenomena.
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