Tag: Soyuz
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OneWeb kick starts massive constellation with Soyuz ST-B launch
Arianespace’s Soyuz ST-B rocket has launched the first satellites that will act as pathfinders to a huge satellite constellation for OneWeb that is aimed at providing full global internet coverage. The launch took place at the opening of the window at 21:37 UTC from the European Spaceport in French Guiana. The Flight VS21 marks the 21st…
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Soyuz 2-1b launches EgyptSat-A – suffers apparent issues – but deemed successful
Russia’s first satellite launch of 2019 took place Thursday, with a Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat rocket lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 23:47 local time (16:47 UTC) carrying the EgyptSat-A spacecraft. The spacecraft has separated, but it was initially unknown if the satellite was in the correct orbit after Russian media reported issues during either the third…
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Russians say they have a deal with Space Adventures to put tourists in orbit by 2021
Space Adventures facilitated two trips to the International Space Station for Seattle-area billionaire Charles Simonyi, in 2007 and 2009. (NASA Photo via Space Adventures) Russia’s space agency says it’s getting ready to resume sending private passengers to the International Space Station and back, a decade after the last space tour. A contract has been signed…
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NASA set to purchase more Soyuz seats to ensure uninterrupted access to the ISS
Despite the scheduled return of US domestic crew launch capability this year, NASA is set to purchase more rides on the Russian Soyuz through 2020. The agency is adhering to a recommendation from its Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) after concerns were raised about the lack of a back-up option covering the potential delays that…
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International partners making progress on ISS funeral plans
International Space Station (ISS) partners are making progress, but are still waiting for a complete deorbit plan for the orbital outpost, to be used in the event of contingency event or during its eventual End Of Life (EOL) scenario. The plan is being led by Roscosmos, which is expected to call for at least two Progress…
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Soyuz 2-1A launches Kanopus-V pair and additional payloads
Russia’s last satellite launch of 2018 saw a Soyuz rocket lift off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome Thursday, delivering a pair of Kanopus-V remote sensing satellites and twenty-six secondary payloads to orbit with the aid of a Fregat upper stage. Soyuz launched at 11:07 local time (02:07 UTC) with separation of its primary payload confirmed ahead…
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Soyuz MS-09 lands after unprecedented on-orbit repairs, inspections
With a mission that was anything but mundane, Soyuz MS-09 with its three-person crew returned to Earth after more than 6 months in orbit on the International Space Station. The Soyuz MS-09 vehicle rose to high public profile in August when a hole that resulted in a small atmospheric leak aboard the Station was discovered…
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Arianespace Soyuz ST-A launches with CSO-1
Arianespace conducted its final launch of 2018 on Wednesday, following a scrub – due to strong winds at the launch site – on Tuesday. The launch used a Soyuz rocket to deploy a high-resolution imaging satellite for the French military. Soyuz lifted off from the Centre Spatial Guyanais – near Kourou, French Guiana. Wednesday launch…
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Russian EVA examines hole repair area on Soyuz MS-09
A unique spacewalk was conducted on Tuesday, as two Russian cosmonauts examined a hole that was found in the orbital module of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft. Oleg Kononenko and Sergey Prokopyev were tasked with cutting through the insulation of the Soyuz spacecraft to take photos and collect samples, ahead of its upcoming return to Earth later…
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Russian spacewalkers carve away at Soyuz spaceship to inspect plugged hole
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko uses a cutting tool to open up the Soyuz spacecraft’s external cover, at bottom, while crewmate Sergey Prokopyev looks on. (NASA TV via YouTube) During an extraordinary spacewalk, two Russian cosmonauts used sharp objects today to cut away layers of protective insulation on a Soyuz capsule and take samples of sealant…