Seven Russian Soyuz Rockets Manufactured For OneWeb Satellite Launches - Space Center

Russia has built seven out of 21 Soyuz carrier rockets contracted out for the launch of UK OneWeb communication satellites, and another three vehicles are expected to be ready by the end of 2019

SAMARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th April, 2019) Russia has built seven out of 21 Soyuz carrier rockets contracted out for the launch of UK OneWeb communication satellites, and another three vehicles are expected to be ready by the end of 2019, Dmitry Baranov, the general director of Russian Rocket Space Center Progress, which develops the rockets, said on Thursday.

"At the moment, around seven [launch] vehicles have been fully commissioned, and we must hand over another three [carrier] rockets for [launches from] the Vostochny Cosmodrome by the end of the year," Baranov said.

The executive noted that Progress was not expecting any difficulties with the manufacturing of the required number of carrier rockets on time.

"They [the rockets] have either been already built, or contracts have been concluded with almost all subcontractors," Baranov added.

Under the contract with OneWeb, Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos has pledged to carry out 21 commercial launches of the Soyuz rockets with 672 communication satellites on board.

In late February, the first Soyuz rocket carrying six OneWeb satellites on board successfully blazed off from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana's commune of Kourou.

UK company OneWeb is creating a constellation of communication satellites that will provide broadband internet access worldwide, potentially including Russia.