MOSCOW, June 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Soyuz-ST-B rocket carrying the European communication satellite 03B from the Kourou space site in French Guiana has been scheduled for July 10, the press-service of Russia’s space agency Roskosmos told ITAR-TASS. The rocket is now being tested and the booster Fregat fuelled.

Soyuz-ST is a variety of the three-stage rocket Soyuz-2, adapted for launches from the Guiana space centre. The first four 03B satellites were put in orbit in June 2013. It was the first step to create a large orbital cluster for Internet access from remote regions. The group of satellites may be built up to 20. Over one billion dollars has been raised for the project. The satellite network will cover a vast expanse from Spain to South Africa, including a greater part of South America and Asia and all islands in the South Pacific.