The Soyuz-2.1b with 36 OneWeb communication satellites is installed on the launch pad of the Baikonur Cosmodrome
BAIKONUR, December 24. - The Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage and 36 OneWeb communications satellites was rolled out from the Assembly and Test Facility on Friday. The launch vehicle was installed on the launch pad of the Baikonur Ñosmodrome, the launch is scheduled for Monday, December 27.
The joint team consisting of the foreign customers and the representatives of Roscosmos enterprises Progress Space Rocket Center, Lavochkin Association, TsENKI and Glavkosmos, is carrying out pre-launch works.
These works are carried out under the contracts of Glavkosmos (a subsidiary of Roscosmos) with the European launch services provider Arianespace (the company operates launches of OneWeb spacecraft with the use of the Soyuz launch vehicle), and the company Starsem.
OneWeb low Earth orbit satellites are designed to provide consumers on the ground with high-speed Internet. Now the fleet of the OneWeb satellites in the low Earth orbit amounts to 358 spacecraft, the company plans to launch hundreds more. The upcoming launch should bring the number of OneWeb spacecraft in orbit to 394.
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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.