Soyuz 2.1B Fregat – Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center Family: Soyuz meters Length: 46.3 meters Diameter: 2.95 meters Launch Mass: 312 Low Earth Orbit Capacity: 8200 The Soyuz 2.1B Fregat was manufactured by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center with the first launch on 2006-12-27. Soyuz 2.1B Fregat has 16 successful launches and 2 failed launches with a total of 18 launches. Soyuz-2, GRAU index 14A14, is the collective designation for the 21st-century version of the Russian Soyuz rocket. In its basic form, it is a three-stage carrier rocket for placing payloads into low Earth orbit. The first-stage boosters and two core stages feature uprated engines with improved injection systems, compared to the previous versions of the Soyuz. Digital flight control and telemetry systems allow the rocket to be launched from a fixed launch platform, whereas the launch platforms for earlier Soyuz rockets had to be rotated as the rocket could not perform a roll to change its heading in flight. The Soyuz 2.1b represents the latest development stage of the proven rocket. It uses the new RD-0124 engines in the first three stages, coupled with an improved injection system that significantly boosts the performance of the Soyuz. Furthermore, she wears a new, digital startup control system. This will allow the Soyuz 2.1b to carry around 1.2 tonnes more payload into low earth orbit compared to its predecessor. Manufacturer Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is a Moscow-based producer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets and is currently developing the Angara rocket family. The Proton launch vehicle launches from Baikonur and Rokot launches from Baikonur and Plesetsk. Angara will launch from Plesetsk and Vostochny. Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is a Government RUS entity that was founded in 1916 and is administered by Director: Andrey Vladimirovich Kalinovskiy. Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center has 87 successful launches and 9 failed launches with a total of 98 launches.