VKS Launches Secret Military Payload

On Saturday, February 5 at 2am ET (7:00 UTC), VKS (the Russian Aerospace Forces) launched an unknown reconnaissance satellite atop a Soyuz 2.1a rocket with the Fregat-M upper stage from Site 43/4 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. The rocket was built by Roscosmos but the launch was operated by VKS. The satellite is likely Neitron, a new type of Russian reconnaissance satellite, but this is unconfirmed. The satellite ID is Cosmos 2553. This was the 11th orbital launch attempt of 2022, the first Soyuz launch of the year, and the 58th Soyuz 2.1a launch.