A record has been set: Russia launched 51 satellites simultaneously!

The historic launch took place from the "Vostochniy" cosmodrome: the "Soyuz-2.1b" rocket successfully delivered 51 Russian satellites to their designated orbits in one go. Among them, 49 are fully domestic, while two were launched as part of collaborations with China and Zimbabwe. Additionally, two small Iranian spacecraft were sent into orbit. The simultaneous launch of such a significant number of satellites set a record in Russian astronautics, as noted by "Roscosmos".

These spacecraft serve various purposes; for instance, 6 small satellites were launched under a joint program between Roscosmos and universities. However, the primary expectations of scientists are linked to two satellites from the "Ionosfera-M" series, No. 1 and No. 2. This marks only the first stage in the creation of the "Ionozond" space project, which will eventually comprise a total of 4 satellites.

- The devices will study what we commonly refer to as "space weather," - says Anatoly Petrukovich, the director of the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences. - They will measure solar radiation and the Earth's radiation belts, and create a map of the ionosphere — the closest zone of outer space to Earth, approximately 400 km above us, -

The ionosphere affects radio communication and the functioning of global satellite navigation; its state is crucial for accurately determining the coordinates of aircraft, satellites, and other moving objects. These satellites are also important for forecasting regular weather. Russia has launched spacecraft of this class into space for the first time in the last 30 years.