The rocket blasted off at 6:14 pm Moscow time (1414 GMT), carrying satellites from Japan, Canada, the United States, the Czech Republic and Denmark, and 10 minutes later had successfully reached orbit.

Rokot, a conversion of an RS-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, was manufactured at Moscow's Khrunichev space center.

It is intended for delivering small communications and research satellites into low orbits.

SPACE.WIRE