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Soyuz-2.1a rocket with 38 satellites from 18 countries launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome

Initially, the launch was scheduled for March 20

MOSCOW, March 22. /TASS/. A Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with 38 satellites from 18 countries onboard, whose launch was postponed from March 20, has blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, was broadcasting the launch live.

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Launch of Soyuz rocket carrying 38 satellites rescheduled for backup date

The Fregat booster with the satellites will detach from the third stage of the rocket in approximately nine minutes. It will take a little over an hour to propel South Korea’s CAS500-1 spacecraft to the orbit. The first batch of satellites of hosted payload is expected to detach between 11:35 and 11:37 a.m. Moscow time, while the second one is planned for 13:13 and 13:43 p.m. Moscow time.

Initially, the launch was scheduled for March 20, however, it was postponed to the reserved date. On Saturday evening, Director General of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin told TASS that the launch would take place on March 22. According to him, the issue was caused by ground equipment, it was promptly removed. It was later specified that the equipment of the Fregat booster had a problem.

South Korea’s CAS500-1 remote Earth sensing spacecraft, Japan’s ELSA-d space debris removing machine and GRUS remote Earth sensing satellites, Saudi Arabia’s NAJM-1 spacecraft aimed to get Earth images and ensure connection as well as Berlin Institute of Technology’s connection satellites are aboard the Soyuz rocket.

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