Latest Mission updates

Soyuz December 18, 2018

24-hour launch delay for Flight VS20 due to altitude winds

Unfavorable high-altitude wind conditions above the Spaceport launch site has resulted in a 24-hour delay for Arianespace’s Flight VS20 mission with the French CSO-1 satellite payload.

The Soyuz launch vehicle and its spacecraft passenger are in a stable and safe condition.

Flight VS20’s new targeted launch date is December 19 at exactly:

  • 11:37:14 a.m., in Washington, D.C.
  • 13:37:14 p.m., in Kourou, French Guiana
  • 16:37:14, Universal Time (UTC)
  • 17:37:14 p.m., in Paris
  • 19:37:14 p.m., in Moscou
  • 01:37:14 a.m., in Tokyo on December 20, 2018

The CSO-1 satellite will be orbited for France’s CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) space agency and the DGA (Direction générale de l’armement) defense procurement agency, on behalf of the French Ministry of Defense. Operating in Sun-synchronous orbit, it is to take 3D pictures and acquire very-high-resolution images.

Soyuz December 17, 2018

Soyuz is ready for Arianespace’s launch of the CSO-1 defense imaging satellite for France

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