Images credit & copyright: ESA/Arianespace.
LAUNCH ALERT: Friday, March 9, 2018 at UTC 16:37 (11:37 EST) Arianespace will launch the medium lift Soyuz-2 launch vehicle (VS18) carrying 4 SES made, O3b satellites to Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) from the Soyuz Launch Zone (ZLS) or Ensemble de Lancement Soyuz (ELS) at the Guiana Space Centre or Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), in Sinnamary, near Kourou, French Guiana.
This will be Arianespace’s 2nd launch of 2018.
TsSKB-Progress Soyuz 2.1a (Soyuz ST) Rocket:
Height: 46.2 m (152 ft.)
Core Diameter: 2.95 m (9.8 ft.)
Width: 10.3 m (34 ft.)
Stages: 3
Boosters: 4
Total Engines: 6 (5 in the first stage and 1 in the second stage)
Total Thrust (sea level): 839.5 kN (188,720 million lb.)
Mass: 312,000 kg (688,000 lb.)
Payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO): 7,020 kg (15,480 lb.)
Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO): 4,400 kg (9,700 lb.)
Payload to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO): 3,250 kg. (7,170 lb.)
Payload to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO): 1,440 kg. (3,170 lb.)
Cost: About $60 million per launch
Payload Fairing: Soyuz’s payload fairing is a two-shell protective enclosure 11.4 m (37 f. 5 in.) in length, 4.11 m (13 f. 6 in.) in diameter and protects the spacecraft during launch and the turbulence of ascent before being jettisoned to expose the spacecraft.
Fregat Upper Stage (when in use): The Fregat upper stage is 1.5 m (4 ft. 11 in.) in length with a diameter of 3.35 m (11 ft.). Its single S5.92 engine uses nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) for fuel and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as an oxidizer, delivering 19.85 kN (4,600 lb.) of thrust and a burn time of 1,100 seconds and can be restarted 20 times in flight.
Third Stage (ST-B):
Height: 6.7 m. (22 ft.)
Diameter: 2.66 m (8.8 ft.)
Engine(s): 1 RD-0110
Engine Chambers: 4
Engine Type: Gas generator/Open-cycle
Propellant Feed: Turbopump
Chamber Pressure: 68.2 bar
Fuel Type: Liquid
Fuel: Rocket propellant-1 (RP-1) or highly refined kerosene. Lower specific impulse than liquid hydrogen (LH2) but is cheaper, room temperature stable, less explosive and denser. RP-1 is much more powerful than LH2 by volume and much less toxic than other room temperature fuels such as hydrazine (N2H4).
Oxidizer: Liquid Oxygen (LOX). LOX is often coupled with rocket propellant-1 (RP-1), liquid hydrogen (LH2) and methane (CH4) as it creates a high specific impulse.
Single RD-0110 Thrust (vacuum): 298 kN (67 lbf.
Specific Impulse (vacuum): 326 s
Burn Time: 230 s
Restart Ability: No
Reusable: No
Core Stage (1st & 2nd stage): Core stage RD-108A ignites roughly 17 seconds before liftoff to allow the engine’s turbopumps to reach flight speed spin.
Height: 27.8 m. (90 ft.)
Diameter: 2.95 m (9.8 ft.)
Engine(s): 1 RD-108A
Engine Type: Gas generator/Open-cycle
Propellant Feed: Turbopump
Engine Chambers: 4
Chamber Pressure: 55.5 bar
Fuel Type: Liquid
Fuel: Rocket propellant-1 (RP-1) or highly refined kerosene. Lower specific impulse than liquid hydrogen (LH2) but is cheaper, room temperature stable, less explosive and denser. RP-1 is much more powerful than LH2 by volume and much less toxic than other room temperature fuels such as hydrazine (N2H4).
Oxidizer: Liquid Oxygen (LOX). LOX is often coupled with rocket propellant-1 (RP-1), liquid hydrogen (LH2) and methane (CH4) as it creates a high specific impulse.
Single RD-108A Thrust (sea level/vacuum): 792 kN (178,049 lbf.)/990 kN (222,561 lbf.
Specific Impulse (sea level/vacuum): 258 s/321 s
Burn Time: 280 s
Restart Ability: No
Reusable?: No
Boosters (First Stage): Boosters ignite roughly 17 seconds before liftoff to allow the engine’s turbopumps to reach flight speed spin.
Height: 19.6 m. (64 ft.)
Diameter: 2.68 m (8.8 ft.)
Engine(s): Each has 1 RD-107A
Engine Type: Gas generator/Open-cycle
Propellant Feed: Turbopump
Engine Chambers: 4
Chamber Pressure: 61.2 bar
Fuel Type: Liquid
Fuel: Rocket propellant-1 (RP-1) or highly refined kerosene. Lower specific impulse than liquid hydrogen (LH2) but is cheaper, room temperature stable, less explosive and denser. RP-1 is much more powerful than LH2 by volume and much less toxic than other room temperature fuels such as hydrazine (N2H4).
Oxidizer: Liquid Oxygen (LOX). LOX is often coupled with rocket propellant-1 (RP-1), liquid hydrogen (LH2) and methane (CH4) as it creates a high specific impulse.
Single RD-107A Thrust (sea level/vacuum): 838.5 kN (188,502 lbf.)/1,021 kN (229,529 lbf.
Total Thrust (sea level):
Specific Impulse (sea level/vacuum): 263 s/320 s
Burn Time: 120 s
Restart Ability: No
Reusable?: No
Watch Live:
Main site: http://www.arianespace.tv/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/arianespace
Livestream: http://www.livestream.com/arianespace
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArianeGroup
Arianespace Soyuz O3B F4 (VS18) Mission Information:
Arianespace Soyuz O3B F4: http://www.arianespace.com/mission/soyuz-vs18/
VS18 Launch Kit: http://www.arianespace.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/VS18-launchkit-EN-2.pdf
VS18 Press Release: http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/arianespace-flight-vs18-soyuz-o3b-satellites/
General 2018 Launch Schedule (Wiki): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_in_spaceflight
SES:
Website: https://www.ses.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SES.Satellites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SES_Satellites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ses_satellites/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ses
Arianespace:
Arianespace Homepage: http://www.arianespace.com
Stephane Israel (CEO Arianespace): https://twitter.com/arianespaceceo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Arianespace
Instagram: http://instagram.com/arianespace
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arianespace/
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/arianespace
Livestream: http://www.livestream.com/arianespace
ArianeGroup:
Website: https://www.ariane.group/en/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArianeGroup
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArianeGroup
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ArianeGroup/
European Space Agency (ESA):
European Space Agency (ESA) homepage: http://www.esa.int/ESA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/esa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanSpaceAgency
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/europeanspaceagency/
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+EuropeanSpaceAgency
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/europeanspaceagency/sets/
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ESA
ESA Images: http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images
ESA page for more VA233 launch images: http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Missions/Galileo
Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES):
Main Site: https://cnes.fr/en
Facebook: https://fr-fr.facebook.com/CNESFrance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNES
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/CNES
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+CnesFrance
CNES Media Library (images, videos etc.): https://cnes.fr/en/mediatheque
Spaceport Kourou & Ariane 5 Data:
Ariane 5 vehicle information: http://www.arianespace.com/vehicle/ariane-5/
Ariane 5 User’s Manual: http://www.arianespace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Ariane5_users_manual_Issue5_July2011.pdf
Ariane 5 Brochure: http://www.arianespace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Ariane5-Flyer-Sep2015.pdf
ESA Ariane 5 vehicle data page: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/Launch_vehicles/Ariane_5
Ariane 5 Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariane_5
Spaceport French Guiana: http://www.arianespace.com/spaceport-facility/
Roscosmos:
Main Site: http://en.roscosmos.ru/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Roscosmos
Twitter: https://twitter.com/roscosmos
Instagram: http://instagram.com/roscosmosofficial
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/roscosmos/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tvroscosmos
S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation “RSC Energia”
Main Site: http://www.energia.ru/english/index.html
Progress Rocket Space Centre (TsSKB):
Website: http://www.en.samspace.ru/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProgressSamara
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProgressSamara
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/1/106131782714139419453/posts
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ProgressSamara
Soyuz Rocket:
Arianespace Soyuz: http://www.arianespace.com/vehicle/soyuz/
Arianespace Soyuz Brochure: http://www.arianespace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Soyuz-Flyer-Oct2015.pdf
Arianespace Soyuz Manual: http://www.arianespace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Soyuz-Users-Manual-March-2012.pdf
Soyuz Rocket Family: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_(rocket_family)
Soyuz 2 Rocket: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz-2#Soyuz-2.1a
Soyuz 2 Rocket: http://spaceflight101.com/spacerockets/soyuz-2-1b/