In the Army Now
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Enlisting in the Russian Army to bust military myths – In the Army Now Ep.01
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Dressing in 45 seconds & army food test – In the Army Now Ep.02
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Are reindeer and huskies really part of Russian Army transport? – In the Army Now Ep.03
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Arctic Regiment as testing ground for cutting-edge military hardware – In the Army Now Ep.04
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Joining firefighters at Russia’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome – In the Army Now Ep.5
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Rocket launch at Plesetsk Cosmodrome – In the Army Now Ep.6
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Becoming marines with the Caspian Fleet – In the Army Now Ep.7
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Demining the sea & why a woman on board is bad luck– In the Army Now Ep.8
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Navy slang, driving a Corvette, and marine initiation rituals – In the Army Now Ep.9
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Inside Russia’s once-secret space surveillance station in Tajikistan – In the Army Now Ep.10
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UFO hunting at Okno Surveillance Station – In the Army Now Ep.11
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Joining the 201st Motor Rifle Division & training with ‘Gods of War’ – In the Army Now Ep.12
Rocket launch at Plesetsk Cosmodrome – In the Army Now Ep.6
Back in the hangar, Anna and Pavel observe their rocket being assembled. They learn some space industry jargon as well as the meaning behind the Russian Space Forces’ insignia. For the “bloom of the iron flower”, they visit the launch control centre. Anna becomes the first woman to hold one of the keys that launches a rocket.
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It turns out that a successful rocket launch in Plesetsk requires a combination of science, religion and superstition. Not long after Anna finds out that a female name is written on all rockets as a lucky charm, a Russian Orthodox priest arrives. He recruits Pavel as a sexton and proceeds to bless the rocket, the mission, and everyone involved.
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Fun fact: the spaceport was built in the city of Mirny because its skies are almost always overcast, making it very difficult to spy on the location by satellite. Today, however, Pavel and Anna get lucky: the skies clear for the launch of their rocket, and they are able to admire it in its full glory.