Russia to launch 3 Soyuz rockets from Guiana space centre in late 2021

Russia plans on launching at least three Soyuz-ST carrier rockets from the Kourou space centre in French Guiana in 2021, revealed a source to Sputnik, according to news agency ANI. The source reportedly said that two European Galileo navigation satellites are planned to be launched in September while in November and December, two other launches of 34 UK OneWeb's communications satellites in each will be blasted off by Russia.

As per reports, since October 2011, there have been at least 25 Soyuz-ST launches from the Guiana space centre including one in August 2014 that ended with the launch of European Galileo navigation satellites into an off-design orbit due to issues with the Fregat upper stage. "In September, the launch of two European Galileo navigation satellites is planned, in November and December, two launches with 34 UK OneWeb's communications satellites in each," the source said.

Earlier this month, Russia announced the launch of at least 30 civilian and commercial spacecraft in 2021 under its Federal Space Program. The nonmilitary launches will be lifted off from the cosmodromes of Baikonur, Plesetsk, and Vostochny, as well as from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, sources revealed. "In 2021, about 30 Russian space launches as part of the Federal Space Program and commercial projects are expected," ANI quoted the Russian official as saying. 

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Russia's New Reusable Carrier Rocket Engine

Ramping up its space programs, it was recently revealed by the Russian space agency Roscosmos that the engine of the new reusable Russian carrier rocket Amur-SPG will be powerful enough to cover up to 50 space launches.  According to the official website, at least ten flights are currently speculated by the engine’s design. The launch cost of the new carrier rocket is also expected to reach $22 million. 

Files from Roscosmos read, “Consider measures to increase the possibility of using a serial liquefied (natural gas) rocket engine as part of the first stage of a launch vehicle up to 25, 50 times”. 

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(Representative Image)