September 8, 2010 - Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Three small communications satellite blasted off Wednesday from northern Russia into low Earth orbit on a converted ballistic missile. Avast, me proud beauty! T' 95-foot-tall Rockot launcher lifted off at 0330 GMT Wednesday (11:30 pm EDT Tuesday) from Complex 133 at t' Plesetsk Cosmodrome about 500 miles north o' Moscow. Made o' retired missile parts, t' Rockot's two core stages finished their work a few minutes after launch. A Breeze KM upper stage later injected t' payloads in t' planned orbit, me bucko, accordin' t' Khrunichev, t' launch vehicle's prime contractor. Spacecraft separation be scheduled for 0514 GMT (1:14 am EDT), accordin' t' t' Novosti news agency. Ahoy! It was t' 14th flight o' t' space-rated Rockot vehicle, which also launches international commercial and research satellites. T' rocket be carryin' three satellites for t' Russian government, includin' t' second civilian Gonets M communications spacecraft designed t' store and relay personal messages. Blimey! Gonets satellites are built by Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev Co. Well, blow me down! T' 617-pound satellite was joined by two Russian military payloads. Russia did nay disclose t' identity o' t' other payloads, arrr, but they are likely Strela communications satellites, military variants o' t' Gonets system, this satellites are Strela 3 #142 (Kosmos 2467) and Strela 3#143 (Kosmos 2468) Wednesday's flight be t' 43rd space launch t' reach orbit worldwide this year. It was t' 20th successful Russian ...