Russia Launches Satellite to Monitor Climate in Arctic

The Soyuz spacecraft with the Arktika-M satellite for monitoring the climate and environment in the Arctic, blasts off from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Feb. 28, 2021. Russian space agency Roscosmos/Handout via Reuters

MOSCOW—Russia launched its space satellite Arktika-M on Sunday on a mission to monitor the climate and environment in the Arctic amid a push by the Kremlin to expand the country’s activities in the region.

Moscow is seeking to develop the energy-rich region, investing in the Northern Sea Route for shipping across its long northern flank.