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OZB Satellites Injected into Target Orbit. / December 18, 2014 /

On 18 December 2014 at 23:37 and 23:59 Moscow Time, two pairs of O3b communication satellites lofted by the Soyuz ST-B rocket with the Fregat-MT upper stage lofted into the target orbit, separated from the upper stage. Lift off from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana occurred at 21:37 Moscow Time.
The satellites are designed to provide a wideband Internet access in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

„Soyuz in Guiana Space Center“ Program
„Soyuz in Guiana Space Center“ Project is based on the Intergovernmental Agreement between Russia and France signed in November 2003. The ROSCOSMOS is in charge of the „Soyuz- GSP“ implementation from the Russian Party and coordinates the relevant activities with the home enterprises of the Rocket and Space Industry involved in the Program (FGUP TsENKI, TsSKB-Progress, and NPO Lavochkin).
The Soyuz-ST carrier rocket manufactured by the TsSKB-Progress is developed from the Soyuz-2 rocket for commercial spacecraft launches from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. It is adapted to the Guiana Space Center’s requirements as for safety (receiving ground commands on flight abort), telemetry system (transmitters working in decimetric range with the European telemetry standards), and operating conditions (increased humidity, marine transportation, and etc). Soyuz-ST is equipped with the ST-type payload fairing corresponding to the international requirements and along with the Fregat upper stage is capable of putting into orbit a wide range of payloads.
The Fregat-MT upper stage is developed by the NPO Lavochkin under the Federal Space Program of Russia and designed for lofting spacecraft of various purposes as part of modernized and existing carrier rockets of R 7A type. The upper stage improves significantly the rocket’s energy and performance characteristics and enables spacecraft to be placed into practically any circumterrestrial orbits and to interplanetary trajectories as well.

Press Service of ROSCOSMOS

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