MOSCOW, August 20. /TASS/. The launch of a Soyuz-2.1b carried rocket with 34 British OneWeb communications satellites has been postponed to August 22 at the client’s request, CEO of Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.
"The launch of the carrier rocket from Baikonur has been postponed for one day at the request of the foreign client due the non-readiness of its ground-based measuring instruments," he wrote on his Telegram channel.
The Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket was to be launched from Baikonur at 01:23 Moscow time on August 20 but the launch was rescheduled after the automatic cancellation of pre-launch operations. A source in the space industry told TASS later that the launch had been rescheduled because of improper operation of a ground complex valve while the rocket was in perfect condition.
The launch is to bring the number of British satellites to 288.
The first six OneWeb satellites were orbited by a Soyuz-ST carrier rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana on February 28, 2019. Another 34 satellites were delivered into outer space on February 7, 2020 and the same amount on March 21 from the Baikonur spaceport.
OneWeb satellites were launched from the Vostochny spaceport for the first time in December 2020. A total of 36 space vehicles were put into orbit. Further launches took place from the Vostochny space center on Marcch 25, April 26, May 28, and July 1, 2021.
OneWeb’s renewed agreement with the French Arianespace that acts as the launch operator stipulates the lift-off of 16 Russian Soyuz carrier rockets from the Kourou, Vostochny and Baikonur spaceports in 2020-2022. Each launch can put between 34-36 OneWeb satellites into orbit.