The Soyuz-2.1 b carrier rocket with 34 OneWeb communication satellites launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the third attempt. This is reported on the website of the state corporation "Roscosmos".
"There is a lifting contact," the announcer said during the online broadcast. It is noted that the launch of the rocket was scheduled for 01: 13 Moscow time.
Roscosmos also said in its Telegram channel that the launch and acceleration of the launch vehicle took place normally. At the moment, the Fregat upper stage and 34 spacecraft have gone to target orbits with a height of 500 to 1500 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
Earlier it was reported that the state commission, following a meeting at the Baikonur cosmodrome, gave permission to launch the Soyuz-2.1 b rocket. The decision was made after the identified malfunction was eliminated.
Before that, the launch was postponed twice. On August 19, the command to cancel the launch was given a few seconds before the start due to a malfunction of the Russian equipment of the launch complex. On August 20, OneWeb asked to postpone the launch due to a failure in the software of the ground-based satellite control system.
OneWeb plans to complete the deployment of a satellite constellation for the global provision of high-speed Internet to terrestrial consumers by June 2022. According to the company, the grouping in low Earth orbit will consist of 648 satellites, now there are 254 devices in extraterrestrial space.
Marina Sovina
