Pléiades-HR 1B

Location

Soyuz Launch Complex

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Soyuz Launch Complex has witnessed the launch of 26 rockets, including 26 orbital launch attempts. While Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, has been the site for 323 rocket launches.

The Guiana Space Centre is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Kourou is located at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its equatorial location and open sea to the east.

Rocket

Progress Rocket Space Center Soyuz STA Fregat

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. This stage continues to use the RD-0110 engine.

The 2.1a/ST version is sometimes called Soyuz ST-A.

Learn more about the Soyuz STA Fregat

Agency

Arianespace

Arianespace SA is a multinational company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane programme. Their vehicles launch exclusively from French Guiana in South America.