On Friday, December 24, 2021, the removal of the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle was taken out with the Frigate accelerated block and 36 ONEWB spacecraft from the installation and test case. The Frigate / OneWeb is installed on the starting complex “East” of the Baikonur cosmodrome and is preparing for a start-up, which is scheduled for December 27 at 16:10 Moscow time.
Currently, specialists of Roskosmos state corporation perform technological operations under the first-day program. In particular, circuit assemblies and autonomous tests of systems and aggregates of spacecraft, overclocking block and carrier missile, and the interaction of on-board equipment and ground equipment is checked.
Present works are held as part of the contracts of the company “Glavkosmos” (a subsidiary of the Roskosmos State Corporation) with the European Supplier of the ArianeSpace launch service (Operator of the OneWeb spacecraft) and Starsem. These work conducts a joint calculation of representatives of foreign customers and subsidiaries of Roskosmos: Rocket and Space Center “Progress”, Scientific and Production Association named after S.A. Lavochkina, Center for Operations of Ground Space Infrastructure and Glavkosmos.
For the first time with Baikonur, 36 spacecraft will be launched, previously Soyuz-2 carrier missiles were displayed 34 of the OneWeb satellite. For this, flight trajectories from this cosmodrome were finalized to increase the number of devices withdrawn at once.
Now the grouping of the OneWeb satellites at a low near-earth orbit has 358 spacecraft. The upcoming start should bring the number of OneWeb devices at an near-earth orbit up to 394. OneWeb low-bit spacecraft are designed to provide terrestrial consumers with high-speed Internet.
***
The Soyuz-2 carrier rocket is developed on the basis of the Soyuz-y serial missile. The head developer is the Progress Rocket and Space Center (Samara, enters Roscosmos). On the Rockets of the Soyuz-2 family, advanced motor installations and modern control systems and measurements are applied, which increases technical and operational characteristics.
Constructively “Soyuz-2”, like all the missiles of the Soyuz family, made under the scheme of longitudinal transverse division of rocket steps. In combination with the Frigate acceleration unit, it is intended for the launches of spacecraft for near-earth orbits of various heights and inclinations, including geoprog and geostationary orbits, as well as flying paths.