SpaceWatch.Global An independent perspective on space
Russian Soyuz rockets will be launched from the European Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana on November 6 and December 14, 2018, a source in the rocket and space industry outed to RIA Novosti.
The Soyuz-ST-B and Soyuz-ST-A launch vehicles built by the Progress Rocket Space Centre in Samara with the Fregat-M upper stage built by the Lavochkin Research and Production Association are to be launched on November 6 and December 14, 2018.
It is noted that the rockets and the upper stages have already arrived at the spaceport. The Lavochkin Research and Production Association specialists are to start work with the Fregat upper stage in mid-September in order to launch the first rocket in November. Preparation of the second upper stage will begin three weeks later.
The Soyuz-ST-B will put the European meteorological satellite MetOp-C into orbit. The Italian CSG-1 (COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation-1) satellite for Earth remote sensing and the small scientific satellite CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite), which is intended for searching for exoplanets, will be launched on the Soyuz-ST-A.
