MetOp-B
Soyuz-2.1a/Fregat
Starsem SA
Mission
MetOp-B
Type: Earth Science
MetOp is a series of three polar orbiting meteorological satellites developed by the European Space Agency (ESA).
Location
31/6
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
1536 rockets have launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan.
Rocket
Soyuz 2.1a Fregat-M – Progress Rocket Space Center
Family: Soyuz
Length: 46.3 m
Diameter: 2.95 m
Launch Mass: 312 T
Low Earth Orbit Capacity: 7020 kg
The Soyuz 2.1a Fregat-M was manufactured by Progress Rocket Space Center with the first launch on 2010-10-19. Soyuz 2.1a Fregat-M has 16 successful launches and 1 failed launches with a total of 18 launches. The 2.1a version includes conversion from analog to digital flight control system and uprated engines on the booster and the first stage with improved injection systems. The new digital flight control and telemetry systems allow the rocket to launch from a fixed rather than angled launch platform and adjust its heading in flight. A digital control system also enables the launch of larger commercial satellites with wider and longer payload fairings such as the ST-type fairing. These fairings introduce too much aerodynamic instability for the old analog system to handle.
Agency
Starsem SA
Type: Commercial
Abbreviation: SSA
Country: FRA,RUS
Starsem is a French-Russian company that was created in 1996 to commercialise the Soyuz launcher internationally.
