Orlets-1 or Don is a Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n (previously Soviet

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

) reconnaissance satellite.

Orlets-1 was made after it was concluded that the Yantar-2K

Yantar (satellite)

Yantar is a series of Russian reconnaissance satellites, which supplemented and eventually replaced the Zenit spacecraft. Kosmos 2175, a Yantar-4K2 or Kobal't spacecraft, was the first satellite to be launched by the Russian Federation following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Yantar-Terilen...

 satellite was not capable of providing strategic warning of attack, and drew on features of an existing draft project designated Yantar-6K. It has a wide-spectrum panoramic camera, carries 8 film return capsules and has a design life of 60 days, After its mission has ended, the satellite is detonated in its orbit.

Orlets-1 is being launched by the Soyuz-U

Soyuz-U

The Soyuz-U launch vehicle is an improved version of the original Soyuz LV. Soyuz-U is part of the R-7 family of rockets based on the R-7 Semyorka missile. Members of this rocket family were designed by the TsSKB design bureau and constructed at the Progress Factory in Samara, Russia....

 or Soyuz-U2

Soyuz-U2

The Soyuz-U2 was a Soviet, later Russian, carrier rocket. It was derived from the Soyuz-U, and a member of the R-7 family of rockets...

 launch vehicle.

An improved version of Orlets-1 exists, called Orlets-2.