OneWeb Satellites Launch Could Be Postponed After Soyuz Emergency - Source

© AFP 2023 / Jody AMIETA picture taken on December 17, 2015 shows a Soyuz rocket blasting off from the European space centre at Kourou, French Guiana
A picture taken on December 17, 2015 shows a Soyuz rocket blasting off from the European space centre at Kourou, French Guiana - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The launch of the first test satellites of the UK's OneWeb constellation into orbit from the Kourou spaceport using the Soyuz-ST carrier rocket may be postponed due to an emergency situation during the launch of Egyptian Egyptsat-A satellite on board a Soyuz-2.1b rocket on Thursday, a Russian space industry source told Sputnik.

The long-awaited OneWeb satellite launch has been recently rescheduled for February 27.

"Both carrier rockets use the same engine on their third stages, therefore, an investigation [into Soyuz 2.1b emergency] will be required, which means that the launch on February 27 from the Kourou space center may be postponed," the source said.

Soyuz-2 carrier rocket - Sputnik International
Russia Completes Engine Tests of Soyuz Rocket's 2nd Stage Using New Fuel - UEC
Russian space industry sources earlier told Sputnik that the third stage of the Soyuz rocket failed to bring the first stage carrying the Egyptian satellite to a target orbit, but the Fregat booster was able to use reserve fuel to compensate for the orbiting error.

READ MORE: Soyuz Spacecraft Assembly to Be Fully Monitored by Video Cameras — Source

Russia's State Space Corporation Roscosmos ultimately confirmed that the EgyptSat-A earth observation satellite had been delivered to its designated orbit and is operating in a regular regime.

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