Russia’s military says it has located a newly launched military satellite that went missing a day ago after entering into the wrong orbit.
The military’s Space Forces struggled to establish contact with the GEO-IK-2 satellite for hours following its Tuesday launch by a Rokot booster rocket from the northern Plesetsk launch pad. Space Forces chief Lt. Gen. Oleg Ostapenko said on Wednesday they located it and established stable communications with the craft.
Lt. Gen. Ostapenko said space experts will now work to determine whether it can serve its intended purpose in an orbit that differs from the designated one. The satellite was built for geodetic studies.
The mishap follows a failed launch of three GLONASS—M satellites in December, which cost two space officials their jobs.
