MOSCOW, June 15 (RIA Novosti) - A Soyuz-U carrier rocket with a Resurs-DK Russian satellite for remote sensing of the Earth was launched Thursday from a base in Kazakhstan, mission control said.
The spacecraft was due to separate from the carrier 8.5 minutes after the launch.
"Information transmitted from the satellite is useful for solving various scientific and administrative tasks, including information support for rational natural-resources management and environmental conservation," a Mission Control spokesperson said.
The spacecraft is capable of surveying up to 700,000 square kilometers daily, and its navigation is based on Russia's global navigation satellite system Glonass. Resurs-DK will be operable for three years.