June 26, 2013
Categories: Satellites, Soyuz

Russian Soyuz ST-V booster launched from European Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana set O3b Networks satellites providing inexpensive internet access into the orbit. The process was broadcasted on Arianespace Company website.

On Monday the launch was postponed due to the poor weather conditions in upper atmosphere, and then it was postponed by half an hour due to the bad weather. The booster was launched on Tuesday at 23.27 Moscow time. The launch was carried out nominally.

O3b Networks satellites constructed by Thales Alenia Space Company were set into the 8063 km high orbit. The satellites will operate within the range of Ka frequency and will be a part of O3b Networks group that will provide high speed and inexpensive internet access for developing countries. Four more O3b Networks satellites will be set into the orbit late this yearm the next four in 2014.

This Soyuz launch was the fifth from Kourou cosmodrome. For the first time Russian rocket was launched from beyond the territory of former USSR on October, 22, 2011 when Soyuz ST-b was launched from European Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana. Earlier Soyuz spacecrafts could be launched from two cosmodromes only – from Russian Plesetsk cosmodrome and Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Image credit – Roscosmos

More from this category:
November 21, 2018

At the Baikonur cosmodrome the final stage of preparation of the crews of the 58/59 long expedition to the International Space Station began (main crew…

full story
April 17, 2015

Russian orbital station is to be developed by 2023, – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday during live call-in. “We are going to develop…

full story
May 20, 2019

On May 17, the assembly of the head part of the “Proton-M” space rocket for the launch of the Russian communications satellite “Yamal-601” began at…

full story
November 20, 2018

In 2018, it is 20th anniversary of the most significant international space projects, the largest manned artificial satellite of the Earth – the International Space…

full story
January 19, 2014

Medium altitude of the ISS orbit was increased by about 2 km with the help of docked with the ISS Progress M-221M cargo vehicle thrusters,…

full story
November 3, 2020

Roscosmos approved the first completely Russian ISS crew to go to the ISS aboard Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft in April 20201. Cosmonauts selection commission approved the…

full story
August 15, 2014

Yesterday on August 14,2014 ISS orbit was adjusted in accordance with the station flight program. According to the calculations of MCC ballistic and navigational support…

full story
December 15, 2018

The “Soyuz-ST-A” launch vehicle has been rolled out to the launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre to begin final preparations for liftoff. Payload —…

full story