The Russian LV Soyuz-ST-B with the Fregat upper stage successfully launched 34 OneWeb satellites into orbit
MOSCOW, February 10. – The Russian Soyuz-ST-B launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage was launched on Thursday from the Guiana Space Center (CSG) and successfully delivered a new batch of 34 OneWeb satellites into orbit.
The launch of the spacecraft was carried out under the contract of Glavkosmos (part of Roscosmos) with the European launch services provider Arianespace in close cooperation with other Roscosmos enterprises - Progress Space Rocket Center, Lavochkin Association and TsENKI.
For OneWeb, this launch became the thirteenth carried out with the use of the Russian Soyuz launch vehicles and the second carried out from the CSG. Five launches were carried out from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and six more - from the newest Russian cosmodrome Vostochny.
There are currently 428 OneWeb communications satellites in orbit. The next OneWeb missions through 2022, in which the Russian Soyuz 2.1b launch vehicle (produced by Progress Space Rocket Center, Samara) will be used, will enable the start of OneWeb’s global services this year.
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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.