Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat - OneWeb F9 (x34) - Baikonur - 21 August 2021 (22:13 UTC)

[Rondaz]

Now the constellation of satellites #OneWeb in low Earth orbit numbers 254 spacecraft, hundreds of others are planned to be launched. Today's launch should bring the number of OneWeb satellites in orbit to 288 units. But for now, let's see the start-up replay

https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1429216063506587656

[Rik ISS-fan]

Sorry for sharing:
https://twitter.com/RussianSpaceWeb/status/1429216438276042758

@RussianSpaceWeb
First firing of Fregat upper stage is reported on time in today's #Soyuz rocket mission to deliver 34 #OneWeb satellites. Mission details: http://russianspaceweb.com/oneweb9.html

[GWR64]

Didn't the Fregat have to fire to get the stage with all the satellites into an intermediate orbit. Now also Roscosmos closed their broadcast.
I'm getting bad vibes.

First satellite deployment at 1h 11min 40sec after launch, so we'll have to wait.

After the separation of the Fregat from the Blok-I, a coast phase of one minute follows.
See launch kit ST28 (when Arianespace was still making proper launch kits)
https://www.arianespace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ST28-launch-kit_EN2.pdf

[Rondaz]

We have received confirmation of the separation of the first and second batch of #OneWeb satellites from the Fregat upper stage.

https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1429228572191899658

[Rondaz]

There is a separation of the third batch of #OneWeb satellites from the Russian upper stage "Fregat".

https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1429232486261919748

[Rondaz]

Launch of Soyuz-2.1b ILV from Baikonur with 34 SC OneWeb

08/22/2021 01:23

On Sunday, August 22, 2021, at 01: 13: 40.425 Moscow time, the launching calculations of subsidiaries of the State Corporation Roscosmos at the Baikonur cosmodrome launched the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage and 34 satellite spacecraft company OneWeb in the framework of mission number 35. After 564 seconds, the orbital unit with satellites is placed on a suborbital trajectory.

According to the received telemetry information, the launch, the separation of the stages and the orbital block were carried out in the normal mode. After that, the Fregat upper stage continued to launch 34 vehicles into the target circular orbit. Within 3.5 hours, OneWeb satellites, in accordance with the flight sequence, will gradually separate from the Russian "accelerator" produced by the S.A. Lavochkin (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation).

The satellites will be in polar orbits with an inclination of 87.9 ° at an altitude of 1200 km from the earth's surface in 12 planes evenly spaced in the longitude of the ascending node, with each spacecraft providing a throughput of 7 Gbit / s. With this launch, the OneWeb low-orbit constellation will increase by 34 satellites and reach 288. This launch was the ninth one within the OneWeb program and the third one from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

The Soyuz-2 launch vehicle was developed on the basis of the Soyuz-U missile. The lead developer is the Progress Rocket and Space Center (Samara, part of Roscosmos). Upgraded propulsion systems and modern control and measurement systems are used on launch vehicles of the Soyuz-2 family, which improves technical and operational characteristics. Structurally "Soyuz-2", like all missiles of the "Soyuz" family, is made according to the scheme of longitudinal-transverse division of rocket stages. In combination with the Fregat upper stage, it is intended for launching spacecraft into low-earth orbits of various heights and inclinations, including geo-transfer and geostationary orbits, as well as departure trajectories.

Liquid-propellant rocket engines RD-107A and RD-108A are used at the first and second stages of the launch vehicle, and at the third stage, the four-chamber RD-0124. With the help of RD-107 and RD-108 developments of the Scientific and Production Association "Energomash" named after academician V.P. Glushko (Khimki, part of Roscosmos) reliably ensures the implementation of the domestic program of manned flights and spacecraft launch. To date, work has been carried out to modernize the basic RD-107 engines for the first stage and RD-108 engines for the second stage - 18 modifications for various programs.

https://www.roscosmos.ru/32238/

[Rondaz]

Great work team

https://twitter.com/OneWeb/status/1429238781727678475

[Rondaz]

Separation of four more batches of four #OneWeb satellites from the Fregat upper stage took place. Recall that the Soyuz-2.1b rocket was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome at 01:13 Moscow time.

https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1429252692506038275

[Rondaz]

26 OneWeb satellites have separated, only 8 more to go.

https://twitter.com/OneWeb/status/1429255101730992128

[Rondaz]

The eighth group of satellites #OneWeb , launched on Sunday night from Baikonur, separated from the Fregat upper stage. There are still four devices left ... But we will learn confirmation of their separation after the "accelerator" enters the radio visibility zone of ground measuring points.

https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1429257475480510465

[Rondaz]

All 34 #OneWeb communication satellites have successfully separated from the Fregat upper stage and have been launched into target orbits!

All 34@OneWeb communications satellites successfully separated from the Fregat upper stage!

https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1429277351343529985

[Rondaz]

The #OneWeb satellites are designed to create a space communications system that provides high-speed Internet access anywhere in the world.

Access will be via 40 ground-based terminal stations that will be deployed on the surface of the Earth.

https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1429278567855181824

[Rondaz]

Our final separation is now complete - another 34 OneWeb satellites successfully separated in nine batches. Great work team.

https://twitter.com/OneWeb/status/1429278522841997319

[Steven Pietrobon]

Roscosmos webcast.

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/arianespaceceo/status/1429285378851287054

[Rondaz]

OneWeb grouping has replenished with 34 more satellites

08/22/2021 06:00

Today, August 22, 2021, at 01:13:40 Moscow time from the launcher No. 6 of the launch pad No. 31 of the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage and 34 spacecraft of the company was successfully launched OneWeb. This start was the ninth one within the OneWeb program and the third one from Baikonur.

The sequential separation of nine groups of spacecraft (in the first group - two, in the rest - four) from the upper stage took place in accordance with the program laid down by the specialists of the S.A. Lavochkin. During its autonomous flight, eleven active sites were provided: three activations of the propulsion system (the latter for the purpose of delivering the upper stage to the "withdrawal orbit") and eight activations of the propulsion system for stabilization, orientation and launch support necessary for safe separation and divergence of satellites.

Foreign customers of the company "Glavkosmos" (part of Roskosmos) confirmed the full fulfillment of contractual obligations. All devices are accepted for communication by the customer. Upon completion of the disengagement and separation of spacecraft, the Fregat upper stage will be de-orbited, and non-combustible elements will be flooded into the uninhabited part of the Pacific Ocean.

The spacecraft were launched by order of the European provider of launch services Arianespace (operator of the launch of OneWeb spacecraft using the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle) and by Starsem under contracts with Glavkosmos. It also became the fifth fully commercial launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome and was carried out by the joint crew of Roscosmos enterprises: RCC Progress, NPO Lavochkin, TsENKI, RKS, Glavkosmos, as well as foreign customers.

The Upper Stage "Fregat" ensures the efficient performance of all tasks of placing one or several vehicles into working orbits or trajectories taking off from the Earth. The entire process of launching is carried out autonomously, without interference from the Earth. The highest reliability and almost perfect launch accuracy provide the upper stage with undeniable competitive advantages in the global space launch market. This launch became the 99th for the Fregat upper stage.

OneWeb spacecraft are designed to create a space communications system that provides high-speed Internet access anywhere on Earth. Internet access via the OneWeb satellite system will be provided through 40 ground-based terminal stations that will be deployed on the surface of the Earth.

The OneWeb terminals will be self-contained, self-sufficient and well protected from adverse environmental factors. Each of them will be able to provide high-speed Internet access in its coverage area via Wi-Fi, LTE or 5G technologies. In addition, the licensed radio frequency range will be used or, where possible, the publicly available Wi-Fi, LTE or 5G radio frequency range.

OneWeb intends to deploy a low-orbit constellation of more than 600 satellites (~ 150 kg in mass) for the widespread provision of high-speed broadband Internet access services in the Ku-band, whose clients should primarily be Wi-Fi, LTE or 5G communication operators. as well as internet providers.

The first batch of six OneWeb satellites for technical testing and functional verification was launched on February 28, 2019 from the Guiana Space Center launch site by the Soyuz-ST launch vehicle. On February 7 and March 21, 2020, two rockets with 34 satellites each were launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome. In December last year, for the first time, a launch vehicle with 36 OneWeb satellites was launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome. Subsequent launches of the OneWeb program from Vostochny took place on March 25, April 26, May 28 and July 1, 2021.

Launches from the Vostochny cosmodrome make it possible to launch a larger number of satellites into orbit by the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket - 36 versus 34 for launches from Baikonur. This difference is due to the higher energy characteristics of the rocket within the given inclination and the full correspondence of the areas of fall of the stages of the carrier. Currently, work is underway to optimize flight trajectories from Baikonur, taking into account the fact that the size of the satellites is slightly larger than anticipated. Research is being carried out in order to launch 36 OneWeb spacecraft from Baikonur, as well as from Vostochny.

https://www.roscosmos.ru/32239/

[Rondaz]

Mission success! We can confirm signal acquisition on all 34 satellites for #OneWebLaunch9. This brings us closer to our vision for global connectivity - we're incredibly grateful to our partners for all their efforts to make this possible.

https://twitter.com/OneWeb/status/1429464949819166722

[jacqmans]

August 22, 2021

Following VA254 and VV19, Flight ST34 marks Arianespace’s third successful launch in less than one month

- Arianespace just successfully performed Soyuz Flight ST34. This latest launch for OneWeb’s places 34 more satellites into orbit.

– Following Ariane 5 VA254 and Vega VV19, ST34 is Arianespace’s third successful mission, with three different launchers, in less than one month, precisely 23 days. With these three missions, Arianespace has placed 41 satellites ranging from 1,4 kg up to 6.190kg into three different orbits (GEO, SSO and LEO) for the benefit of six clients.

– Following this 9th launch for OneWeb, Arianespace has deployed 288 satellites in Low Earth Orbit for their constellation.

Performed on Sunday, August 22 at precisely 3:13 a.m. local time at Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome (10:13 p.m. UTC on August 21), Soyuz Flight ST34 lifted-off with 34 OneWeb satellites onboard, bringing, after the successful deployment, the size of the fleet in orbit to 288. Flight ST34 was the 59th Soyuz mission carried out by Arianespace and its Starsem affiliate. The mission lasted three hours and 45 minutes. The 34 satellites have been separated, during nine separation sequences, at an altitude of 450 km. It was also the third successful launch operated by Arianespace’s teams in less than one month.

“Congratulations to all the teams who made this ninth launch dedicated to OneWeb’s satellites a success,” said Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace. “Every single mission is special, but ST34 is the demonstration of our ability, no matter when or where, to deliver the best possible service! We operated three successful launches from two continents in precisely 23 days -less than one month-, with three different launchers, Ariane 5, Vega and Soyuz. Any time, any mass, any orbit: this is once again what we achieved to the benefit of our customers!”

To date, Arianespace has launched 288 OneWeb satellites with nine Soyuz launches. Arianespace will perform 10 more Soyuz launches for OneWeb through 2021 and 2022. These launches will enable OneWeb to complete the deployment of its full global constellation of low Earth orbit satellites before the end of 2022.

OneWeb’s mission is to create a global connectivity platform through a next-generation satellite constellation in Low Earth Orbit. The OneWeb constellation will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity to a wide range of customer sectors, including aviation, maritime, enterprise and government. Central to its purpose, OneWeb seeks to bring connectivity to the hardest to reach places, where fiber cannot reach, and thereby bridge the digital divide.

The satellite prime contractor is OneWeb Satellites, a joint venture of OneWeb and Airbus Defence and Space. The satellites were produced in Florida, USA in its leading-edge satellite manufacturing facilities that can build up to two satellites per day on a series production line dedicated to spacecraft assembly, integration, and testing.

The launch of the satellites was operated by Arianespace and its Euro-Russian affiliate Starsem under contract with Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. Arianespace is responsible for the overall mission and flight-worthiness, with the support of Starsem for launch campaign activities including management of its own launch facilities at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. RKTs-Progress (the Samara Space Center) is responsible for the design, development, manufacture and integration of the Soyuz launch vehicle as well as for the 3-stage Soyuz flight. NPO Lavotchkin is responsible for the launch preparation operations and flight of the Fregat orbital vehicle.

https://www.arianespace.com/press-release/soyuz-st34-oneweb-success/

[jacqmans]

August 22, 2021

OneWeb Confirms Another Successful Launch, Accelerating Business Momentum

• OneWeb confirms successful launch and contact with all 34 satellites, bringing total in-orbit constellation to 288 satellites
• Remains on track to commence service this year and deliver global service in 2022
• OneWeb continues to gather momentum, recently announcing a series of global distribution partnerships with business fully funded

London, 22 August 2021: OneWeb, the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, today confirmed the next successful launch of 34 satellites by Arianespace from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The launch follows the successful completion of OneWeb’s ‘Five to 50’ mission and highlights the momentum of the business as it prepares to both introduce commercial service and focus on scaling to global service.

This latest successful launch brings OneWeb’s total in-orbit constellation to 288 satellites. These will form part of OneWeb’s 648 LEO satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity.

Lift-off occurred on 21 August at 23:13 BST. OneWeb’s satellites separated from the rocket and were dispensed in nine batches over a period of three hours 45 minutes with signal acquisition on all 34 satellites confirmed.

OneWeb remains on track to deliver global service in 2022 and is seeing growing demand from telecommunications providers, ISPs, and governments worldwide to offer its low-latency, high-speed connectivity services to the hardest to reach places.

Since the start of 2021, OneWeb has announced distribution partnerships across several industries and businesses including most recently with Northwestel in Canada and BT in the UK.

The business is growing from a position of strength, establishing itself as a leader in LEO broadband connectivity, and recently announced $300 million in further funding from Hanwha. OneWeb is fully funded to deliver its constellation and take its satellites into commercial service.

Neil Masterson, OneWeb CEO, commented: “Following the successful completion of our ‘Five to 50’ mission, we are building on our success and embarking on an ambitious back-to-back launch programme until the end of 2021. We are seeing huge demand for our services from global customers, and we are incredibly excited about scaling our network ahead of its commercial launch. This success is down to our talented team and partners around the world, who continue to work relentlessly every day to deliver OneWeb’s constellation and bring connectivity to those in the hardest to reach places.”

https://oneweb.net/media-center/oneweb-confirms-another-successful-launch-accelerating-business-momentum

[Rondaz]

OneWeb satellites - within sight of the GRC

08/25/2021 22:45

On August 22, 2021, the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage and 34 OneWeb spacecraft were launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome. State Rocket Center named after academician V.P. Makeeva (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) ensured the reception of telemetric information from the launch and flight by means of the Miass complex of technical means (CTS).

According to the general director, general designer of the Makeeva SRC, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Degtyar, the flight path of the launch vehicle stretched along the Ural ridge. The visibility zone of the Miass CTS started at 192 seconds (at a distance of 900 km) and lasted up to 627 seconds (at a distance of 1300 km). The main task of the Miass specialists - to ensure the duplication of telemetric information in the active section for Baikonur - has been successfully completed.

There was also a second loop in the visibility zone of the Miass CTS to test the reception capability at a distance of 2200 km. At such a distance, telemetric information was received for the first time, in an experimental manner. Thus, the data was received in full and of excellent quality on both rounds of engagement.

In the time interval between the turns for the Baikonur cosmodrome, the recording received on the first orbit was also broadcast. According to experts from the Russian Space Systems Holding (part of Roscosmos), the use of the Miass CTS has shown itself to be a positive side, and such work will be planned in the future.

https://www.roscosmos.ru/32317/