The launch of 36 OneWeb satellites from the Baikonur Cosmodrome is a success
BAIKONUR, December 27. - A successful launch of 36 OneWeb satellites aboard the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage was executed on Monday, December 27, at 13:10 UTC (16:10 Moscow time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch of the spacecraft was carried out under the contracts of Glavkosmos (a subsidiary of Roscosmos) with the European launch services provider Arianespace (which operates the launch of OneWeb spacecraft with the use of the Soyuz launch vehicle) and the company Starsem.
The joint team of the foreign customers and the representatives of Roscosmos enterprises Progress Space Rocket Center, Lavochkin Association, TsENKI and Glavkosmos executed the launch.
The separation of the Fregat upper stage from the third stage was nominal. In accordance with the flight sequence, the spacecraft were sequentially separated from the upper stage and injected into target orbits.
This launch became the twelfth under the OneWeb program and the fifth performed from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The foreign customers of Glavkosmos have confirmed that the company has fully complied with its contractual obligations.
OneWeb low Earth orbit satellites are designed to provide consumers on the ground with high-speed Internet. Today’s launch brought the number of OneWeb satellites in orbit to 394 and the company is planning to launch hundreds more.
***
Glavkosmos, JSC is a subsidiary of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos. The main task of the company is to promote the achievements of the Russian rocket and space industry to world markets and to manage complex international projects. During its more than thirty-five year history, the company has successfully fulfilled over 140 international contracts, including the launch of more than 170 spacecraft as a secondary payload.
Since May 2021, Glavkosmos has been the official operator of Roscosmos trademarks.
ROSCOSMOS is a State Corporation established in August 2015 to carry out a comprehensive reform of the Russian rocket and space industry. ROSCOSMOS ensures the implementation of the state policy in space activities and its normative and legal regulations, as well as places orders for the design, production and supply of space equipment and space infrastructure. ROSCOSMOS is also vested with authority to develop international cooperation in space and establish the appropriate environment for applying achievements in space domain for the social and economic development in Russia.