"The satellite was put into orbit at 00.06 a.m. Moscow time (8.06 p.m. GMT Monday)," Alexey Zolotukhin said.
It is the second time Russia has launched a German military spacecraft from the Plesetsk space center. Russia's Space Forces successfully conducted the first SAR-Lupe launch in December last year.
In 2003, Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and German COSMOS International Satellitenstart Gmbh (a subsidiary of OHB Systems AG) signed a contract to launch five SAR-Lupe satellites until 2009.
The German satellite system is designed to provide high-resolution radar images to NATO military commanders in Europe. It offers a spatial resolution of less than 1 meter, and allows imaging at night and through clouds.
The Cosmos-3M is a liquid-fueled two-stage rocket, first launched in 1967, with over 410 successful launches to date. The booster has been designed to lift a payload of up to 1500 kg (3,300 lbs) into low, medium, and high orbits.
