Heimdall has flown — and returned successfully. 🚀Yesterday, Propulse NTNU launched the liquid-fueled student rocket Heimdall from Tarva, Norway.The rocket reached an official apogee of 3,318 meters and a maximum velocity of 283 m/s, before being successfully recovered after flight — marking a major milestone for the team and for student rocketry in Norway.The video below includes the launch, commentary from the livestream, onboard camera footage, and video of the successful recovery. 🌊
Launch is at 5:09:24 of the video. They livestreamed an onboard camera view! Didn't see the actual launch, just some blurred pixels.
On November 28, 2025, ArianeGroup carried out the first launch of a new sounding rocket flight test system called SyLEx (Système de Lancement d'Expériences, or Experiment Launch System) operated by the French Defence Procurement and Technology Agency's Missile Testing Centre in Biscarrosse (DGA EM). This flight test validates the single-stage version of the new system. For this first flight, SyLEx carried an ArianeGroup experimental payload, a platform for technological integration and demonstration.[...]SyLEx is designed to support a wide range of missions, including atmospheric re-entry and microgravity experiments. It targets both civilian and military applications on the European market. This new product consists of two sounding rocket models, a single-stage and a two-stage version, completed by a dedicated launch pad. With a payload capacity up to 600kg, the new launch system will be capable of reaching altitudes between 200 and 400 kilometres. Depending on the payload and mission configuration, the SyLEx sounding rocket can accommodate multiple experiments in a single flight.
According to official information received from the Center for Nature Management and Environmental Protection, a rocket will soon be launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The launch is scheduled for the first half of December 2025. Attention Risk zone: The Siya rocket stage impact area, located in the Pinezhsky and Kholmogorsky districts, will pose a temporary danger during the launch period. We strongly recommend that you take the necessary precautions
From November 17 to December 6, the military will ban traffic through the Kura combat missile range, located in the Ust-Kamchatsky district, according to M-MEDIA.“According to a letter from the commander of military unit 25522, experimental testing is planned at the Kura combat range from November 17 to December 6, 2025,” the district administration explained.Kura is considered the main “target” for military exercises involving ultra-long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles. This year, the test site celebrated its 70th anniversary.
TRANSMIT 13 DAYS COASTAL WARNING WEST MURMANSK 380 CHART 11115 BARENTS SEAPOMORSKY STRAIT 1. MISSILE LAUNCHES 03 TO 10 DEC 0600 TO 1500 NAVIGATIONPROHIBITED IN TERRITORIAL WATERS DANGEROUS BEYOND THEM AREA 69-08-48N 051-23-55E 68-57-35N 052-02-49E 68-15-40N 050-15-12E 68-28-22N 049-41-55E2. CANCEL THIS NR 101600 DEC= 271000 MSK HS-
Two local rocket stage impact warnings indicate that a solid-fuel ICBM will be launched from Plesetsk in early December in the direction of the Kamchatka peninsula....The Siya impact zone in the Arkhangelsk region as well as the impact zone in the Barents Sea are typically used for the Yars-M solid-fuel ICBM. Since a training launch of a standard Yars-M took place just a little over a month ago as part of a large-scale nuclear exercise, this could be a test launch of a new version of the rocket. Two prime candidates are versions known as 15P182/Osina-RV and MMK Bureya.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/12/the-missile-meant-to-strike-fear-in-russias-enemies-fails-once-again/
Russian sources are confirming that a test launch of an ICBM took place from Plesetsk this morning. No further details are available so far and we may not see any official announcements from the Ministry of Defense.
ZCZC KA08190700 UTC DEC 25COASTAL WARNING MURMANSK 407BARENTS SEA POMORSKY STRAIT1. ROCKET LAUNCHING 25 TO 30 DEC0600 TO 1600 NAVIGATION PROHIBITEDIN TERRITORIAL WATERS DANGEROUSOUTSIDE IN AREA BOUNDED BY69-08-48N 051-23-55E68-57-35N 052-02-49E68-15-40N 050-15-12E68-28-22N 049-41-55E2. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 301700 DEC 25NNNN
Following a delay earlier this month, it looks like another attempt will be made to launch a Yars-class solid-fuel ICBM from Plesetsk between December 25 and 30. QuoteZCZC KA08190700 UTC DEC 25COASTAL WARNING MURMANSK 407BARENTS SEA POMORSKY STRAIT1. ROCKET LAUNCHING 25 TO 30 DEC0600 TO 1600 NAVIGATION PROHIBITEDIN TERRITORIAL WATERS DANGEROUSOUTSIDE IN AREA BOUNDED BY69-08-48N 051-23-55E68-57-35N 052-02-49E68-15-40N 050-15-12E68-28-22N 049-41-55E2. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 301700 DEC 25NNNNThis is the standard impact zone for the second stage. There have also been local warnings for the impact of the first stage in the Arkhangelsk province and the third stage on the Kamchatka peninsula.Since a practice launch of a standard Yars took place from Plesetsk in late October, this could be a test flight of a new version of the rocket, either 15P182 or MMK Bureya.
Russia appears to have made another attempt to launch a Yars ICBM from Plesetsk. It issued a NOTAM notification with a window opening at 6:00 UTC on 25 December 2025. It probably notified the United States about the upcoming launch: the United States dispatched an RC-135 Cobra Ball aircraft to monitor the launch. The aircraft returned to the base after an 18-hour flight, but the launch did not take place on the 25th as the NOTAM was not cancelled. Cobra Ball flew another mission on December 26th (taking off around 2:00 UTC), this one lasting about five hours. The NOTAMs were cancelled around 08:20 UTC on December 26th and the aircraft returned to the base.It is not clear whether a launch took place on the 26th or was cancelled as was apparently the case with the attempt in early December. Given that no reports about the launch appeared in the Russian media, a cancellation is more likely.
