The Russian Soyuz-ST launch vehicle has orbited two satellites of the European navigation system Galileo
MOSCOW, December 5. - On Sunday, a Soyuz-ST launch vehicle with a Fregat upper stage successfully launched two satellites of the European Galileo navigation system into orbit from the Europe’s Spaceport at the Guiana Space Center (CSG, French Guiana). The launch, executed at 00:19 UTC, was carried out within the Russian-European project “Soyuz at the Guiana Space Center”, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2021.
The operator of launches from Europe’s Spaceport is the European launch services provider Arianespace, Glavkosmos JSC (part of Roscosmos) is the main contract integrator in the project on the Russian side, the company ensures interaction of Russian space industry enterprises with Arianespace at all stages.
Out of 26 Galileo satellites already in orbit, the Soyuz launched 14 satellites between 2011 and 2016; today two more Galileo spacecraft have joined the constellation. During the first launch from the Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in October 2011, the Soyuz-ST-V with the Fregat upper stage orbited two Galileo spacecraft.
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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.