Someone from the CSG told me that the flight was postponed to April 10. The launcher will be brought back to the MiK, and the Fregat replaced by the one that should have taken off on VS-25.So, the launch of VS-25 will not take place before mid-April/May.The VS-24 Fregat will return to Russia
Source: Soyuz-ST will be removed from launch at the Kourou space center to replace the upper stageDuring complex pre-launch tests, on March 5, a malfunction was detected in the circuit board of the heating block of one of the liquid propulsion thruster rocket control system "Frigate"MOSCOW, March 6. / TASS /. The Soyuz-ST launch vehicle, which is to launch the Falcon Eye 2 UAE satellite into orbit from the Kourou space center in French Guiana, will be removed from the launch complex to replace the Frigate upper stage. This decision was made on Friday following negotiations between specialists from the Russian Federation, France and the UAE, a source in the rocket and space industry told TASS."It was decided to remove the rocket from the launch pad and send it to the mounting and testing complex of the cosmodrome to replace the Frigate upper stage, on which uncritical remarks were previously detected. To use the other upper stage, available on Kura," the agency’s source said. .He explained that during complex pre-launch tests of the launch vehicle on March 5, a malfunction was detected in the circuit board of the heating unit of one of the liquid propellant small thrust engines of the Frigate control system. “According to the results of the analysis, Russian specialists came to the conclusion that this remark does not prevent the launch and regular launch of the satellite into orbit under the conditions of the equatorial spaceport. However, the Emirate customer decided to play it safe,” the source explained.The agency’s interlocutor noted that it would take several weeks to replace the Frigate and new pre-launch checks in the assembled launch vehicle. “The launch has been postponed until the first ten days of April,” he specified.Now the Soyuz-ST launch vehicle remains on the launch pad of the launch site, it is planned to be removed on March 9-10.Transfer of launch of Soyuz-STInitially, the launch of the satellite was scheduled for 04:33 Moscow time on March 6 (22:33 March 5, French Guiana time). On Thursday, a source in the rocket and space industry told TASS that the launch of the UAE Falcon Eye 2 satellite for optoelectronic intelligence was postponed a day in advance due to problems with the upper stage. He also noted that the launch could be delayed for a longer period. The source claimed that such a decision was made due to problems in one of the cables of the Frigate booster block.Earlier, space flight operator Arianespace announced at least three planned launches using Russian Soyuz rockets from the Kourou Cosmodrome. Next in the list is the launch of the second military satellite for France, CSO-2 (the first was launched in December 2019 by the Soyuz ST-A rocket). Arianespace also expects to put into orbit two more batches of OneWeb satellites in 2020 using Soyuz from the Kourou spaceport.
Arianespace is now targeting April 6 for the launch of VS-24.
Falcon Eye 2 - April 14:https://tass.ru/kosmos/7966345
There are three Fregat-M at CSG including Falcon Eye-2.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the need to fully implement the measures decided by the French government, launch campaigns under way at the Guiana Space Center (CSG) in French Guiana have been suspended. These launch preparations will resume as soon as allowed by health conditions.This exceptional measure is designed to protect the health of employees and the local population, while also maintaining the security needed to prepare for scheduled launches.Arianespace, French space agency CNES and all companies involved at CSG are currently overseeing operations to place launchers and satellites in safe standby condition, in line with standard procedures.
https://ria.ru/20200402/1569471635.htmlGoogle translate:Quote"Provided that the cosmodrome resumes operation before the end of the year, three launches of Soyuz missiles from Kuru can take place," the agency’s source said.According to him, preliminary launch of the Falcon Eye-2 satellite is scheduled for September 15, CSO-2 spacecraft for October 15, and two European Galileo navigation satellites for December 15.
"Provided that the cosmodrome resumes operation before the end of the year, three launches of Soyuz missiles from Kuru can take place," the agency’s source said.According to him, preliminary launch of the Falcon Eye-2 satellite is scheduled for September 15, CSO-2 spacecraft for October 15, and two European Galileo navigation satellites for December 15.
2 May, 17:51Eight remaining Roscosmos specialists return from Kourou spaceport shut amid pandemicEarlier they completed works to bring the fuel servicing equipment at the fueling station to its initial state and neutralize itMOSCOW, May 2. /TASS/. Specialists of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos who stayed at the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana to complete necessary works have returned to Moscow, the Center for the Operation of the Ground-Based Space Infrastructure said on Saturday."The plane with the last group of Russian specialists has landed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport," the center said, adding that these people would be placed under mandatory 14-day quarantine. "Currently, all of them are feeling well," the center said.Eight specialists of the Center and its branches earlier completed works to bring the fuel servicing equipment at the fueling station to its initial state and neutralize it.Now all the works at the Kourou cosmodrome have been suspended over the coronavirus pandemic. As the Guiana Space Center reported earlier, these measures are called upon to protect the health of the staff and the local population and also to ensure safety required for preparing for planned space launches.Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel said in late April that the company was getting prepared to resume preparations for two launches from the Kourou spaceport with the use of Vega and Arinae 5 carrier rockets.In late March, about 25 Roscosmos specialists flew home from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana after its operation was suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, 21 other specialists remained at the spaceport because the rocket’s upper stage could not be left in its fueled state. On April 25, nine employees of the Lavochkin Research and Production Association returned to Russia. They are complying with a two-week quarantine.
I've listed the names of the payloads with the missions:- VS-24: Falcon Eye 2 (October 1)
Periodical alarm of the oxidizer (nitrogen tetraoxide) vapor detection system was detected at the storage site of #Fregat upper stage intended for #FalconEye2 launch. Specialists of NPO Lavochkin will arrive at Kourou cosmodrome at early June to check it. https://ria.ru/20200529/1572195760.html
https://twitter.com/katlinegrey/status/1266679264587452416Quote from: Katya PavlushchenkoPeriodical alarm of the oxidizer (nitrogen tetraoxide) vapor detection system was detected at the storage site of #Fregat upper stage intended for #FalconEye2 launch. Specialists of NPO Lavochkin will arrive at Kourou cosmodrome at early June to check it. https://ria.ru/20200529/1572195760.html
https://ria.ru/20200615/1572922260.htmlGoogle translate:Quote“The launch of the Soyuz-ST-A rocket with the Fregat-M booster block and the Falcon Eye-2 Arabian optical-electronic surveillance satellite is planned for October 17,” the agency’s source said.
“The launch of the Soyuz-ST-A rocket with the Fregat-M booster block and the Falcon Eye-2 Arabian optical-electronic surveillance satellite is planned for October 17,” the agency’s source said.
Speaking again to Stephane Israel in Kourou.Next Kourou orbital launch is Soyuz on October 16 [local time]--Falcon Eye 2--but not mentioned by name, only as a "military satellite."
...NET Late November 3 - Falcon Eye 2 - Soyuz-ST-A/Fregat-M (VS24a) - Kourou ELS - 01:33:28...Changes on October 18th
The source announced the postponement of the resumption of the Soyuz launches from the Kuru03:02 18.10.2020 (updated: 04:28 18.10.2020) MOSCOW, October 18 - RIA Novosti. The resumption of the launches of Russian Soyuz carrier rockets from the Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana, interrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic, has been postponed at least until the end of November, a source in the rocket and space industry told RIA Novosti.The launch of the Soyuz-STA rocket with the Fregat-M upper stage and the UAE-owned Falcon Eye-2 optical-electronic Earth observation satellite was scheduled for early March, but was postponed due to problems with the upper stage, which was replaced with a spare ... However, in mid-March, the Kuru cosmodrome was temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, so the launch was postponed to September-October. In September, a spokesman for the press service of Roscosmos told RIA Novosti that the launch was scheduled for early November."The launch has been postponed at least until the end of November," the agency's source said.According to him, this is due to problems with the "Fregat".
I have been informed that the launch has been postponed to November 3rd due to problems on the Fregat stage.As a reminder at the beginning of the year, the VS-24 Fregat had been exchanged because of some problems on it (it's still at the CSG, but should be back in Russia soon), and replaced by the one that should have flown on VS-25. Today, it's the Fregat initially planned for VS-25 that has a problem.
Launch postponed, the new date seems indefinitehttps://ria.ru/20201018/kosmos-1580323424.htmlGoogle translateQuoteThe source announced the postponement of the resumption of the Soyuz launches from the Kuru03:02 18.10.2020 (updated: 04:28 18.10.2020) MOSCOW, October 18 - RIA Novosti.<snip>"The launch has been postponed at least until the end of November," the agency's source said.According to him, this is due to problems with the "Fregat".
The source announced the postponement of the resumption of the Soyuz launches from the Kuru03:02 18.10.2020 (updated: 04:28 18.10.2020) MOSCOW, October 18 - RIA Novosti.<snip>"The launch has been postponed at least until the end of November," the agency's source said.According to him, this is due to problems with the "Fregat".
