On 27 December 2021 at 16:10:37 Moscow time a Soyuz launcher with 36 OneWeb satellites was successfully launched from the Baikonur launch site.
After separation of the Soyuz third stage, the Fregat upper stage (Lavochkin Research and Production Association) continued transferring the 36 OneWeb satellites up to an altitude of 450 kilometers, where they were successfully released. Then the satellites will raise their orbit up to an altitude of 1200 km using their SPT-50M thrusters made by JSC EDB Fakel (a part of the integrated structure of JSC NPO Energomash of the Roscosmos state corporation).
Low Earth orbit OneWeb satellites will serve to provide users on Earth with high-speed Internet access directly through the satellite connection. This launch brings the total number of OneWeb satellites in low Earth orbit to 394 with hundreds more to be launched.
Photo courtesy of OneWeb Satellites
About JSC EDB Fakel
JSC EDB Fakel (a part of the state corporation Roscosmos) is one of the leading enterprises in development of electric propulsion systems and thermal catalytic propulsion systems operating using Hydrazine. Fakel has a production experience in serial and mass delivery of thrusters both in commercial and state market segments. The share of the thrusters production in the world for spacecraft is about 10%. More than 70 Russian spacecraft (more than 60% of the Russian orbital constellation) and 30 Western spacecraft are equipped with thrusters developed and produced by EDB Fakel. Today EDB Fakel’s partners are ISS Reshetnev, RSC Energia, Khrunichev State Research and Production Center, Lavochkin Research and Production Association, Research and Production Corporation VNIIEM, Maxar (USA), Airbus, TAS (France), MELСO (Japan), IAI (Israel), OHB (Sweden).
ROSCOSMOS is the state corporation established in August 2015 for a comprehensive reform of the rocket and space industry of Russia. ROSCOSMOS ensures performance of the state policy in space industry and normative regulation. ROSCOSMOS also places orders for development, production and delivery of space hardware and space infrastructural objects. Also, one of its functions is to develop international co-operation in space industry and provide conditions to use the results of the space activities for a social and economic progress of Russia.
Media Contact:
JSC EDB Fakel
Konstantin Migaltsev
+7 4012 556764
