Shtil-2

   MOSCOW, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Russia launched a research satelliteon board a Shtil rocket from a Northern Fleet submarine at the Barents Sea late Friday night, the Itar-Tass news agency reported Saturday.

    A rocket "with the research satellite Kompas-2 was launched from the Ekaterinburg missile submarine cruiser at 22:50 Moscow time (1850 GMT)," said the headquarter.

    "The launch was aimed at orbiting the Kompas-2 satellite in the interests of the Russian Federal Space Agency," Assistant Navy Commander Igor Dygalo said.

    "The successful launch of the satellite into the orbit specified proves high reliability of the naval strategic forces and the efficiency of the combat command and control system," he said.

    According to Dygalo, the submarine crew demonstrated high professional skills during the operation.

    The launch, initially planned for Wednesday, was postponed because of problems "in preparations for the experimental shooting," Dygalo said.

    The Kompas-2 earth monitoring satellite has been developed by the Academician Makeyev Missile Design Bureau. Enditem