Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Arianespace Flight VS25 - CSO-2 (EN)

For its 10th and final launch of the year — and the fifth in 2020 with the Soyuz medium launcher — Arianespace will send the CSO-2 Earth observation satellit...

Soyuz Flight VS25

For its 10th and final launch of the year — and the fifth in 2020 with the Soyuz medium launcher — Arianespace will send the CSO-2 Earth observation satellite, intended for defense and security applications, into Sun-synchronous orbit. CSO-2 will be launched for the French CNES (Centre National d’E...

CSO-2

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Soyuz Launch Complex Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

The CSO-2 (Composante Spatiale Optique-2) satellite is the second of three new-generation high-resolution optical imaging satellites for the French military, replacing the Helios 2 spy satellite series.

Updates

spacevogel • Dec. 29, 2020, 6:03 p.m.

Launched called success on webcast, Arianespace CEO and head of Roscosmos both tweeted that sat is in planned orbit


spacevogel • Dec. 29, 2020, 4:42 p.m.

Liftoff


Nosu • Dec. 28, 2020, 1:04 p.m.




Soyuz STA

Family:
Configuration: Fregat

The 2.1a version includes conversion from analog to digital flight control system and uprated engines on the booster and the first stage with improved injection systems. The new digital flight control and telemetry systems allow the rocket to launch from a fixed rather than angled launch platform and adjust its heading in flight. A digital control system also enables the launch of larger commercial satellites with wider and longer payload fairings such as the ST-type fairing. These fairings introduce too much aerodynamic instability for the old analog system to handle. This stage continues to use the RD-0110 engine. The 2.1a/ST version is sometimes called Soyuz ST-A.

Specifications
  • Stages
    3
  • Length
    46.3 m
  • Diameter
    2.95 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    312.0 T
  • Thrust
Family
  • Name
    Soyuz STA
  • Family
  • Variant
    Fregat
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Soyuz STA Fregat
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    7020.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    2810.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    4230.0 kg

Progress Rocket Space Center

Progress Rocket Space Center

(PRSC)

CEO: Dmitry Baranov Founded: 1996 Successes: 44 Failures: 1 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

Progress Rocket Space Centre, formerly known as TsSKB-Progress, is a space science and aerospace research company which is known for manufacturing launch vehicles and satellites. Most notably, Progress Rocket Space Centre is the manufacturer of Soyuz launch vehicles.

INFO WIKI

Related News

Spaceflight Now

Photos: Soyuz launches French military satellite

Check out imagery from Arianespace and the French space agency showing the launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket Dec. 29 from the Guiana Space Center in South America.

Spaceflight Now

French military surveillance satellite launched by Soyuz rocket

An optical reconnaissance satellite for the French military took off atop a Soyuz launcher Tuesday, riding the Russian-made rocket from a tropical spaceport in South America into a 300-mile-high polar orbit to begin a 10-year mission surve…

SpaceNews

Soyuz launches French reconnaissance satellite in final 2020 launch

A Soyuz rocket successfully launched a French reconnaissance satellite Dec. 29 in what is likely the final launch of an active 2020 in spaceflight.

NASA Spaceflight

Arianespace, with Russian Soyuz, launches CSO-2 French military satellite

The 114th and final orbital launch of 2020 saw a Soyuz ST-A rocket loft the CSO-2 Earth observation satellite for the French Ministry of Defence.

Spaceflight Now

French military spysat set for launch Monday

A sharp-eyed French military surveillance spacecraft is set for launch aboard a Soyuz rocket Monday from French Guiana into a 300-mile-high orbit, where it will collect the highest-resolution imagery ever produced by a European reconnaissa…

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Soyuz Launch Complex


Falcon 9
Success
7 hours, 41 minutes ago
NROL-145
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Tenth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office to…


Long March 6A
Success
1 day, 21 hours ago
Shiyan 27 01-06
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

A group of 6 Chinese satellites reported to be for "space environment probing and other related technological testing". Actual usage not known.


Minotaur IV
Success
4 days ago
NROL-174
Space Launch Complex 8 - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.


New Shepard
Success
6 days, 6 hours ago
NS-31
West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch - Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USA

NS-31 is the 11th crewed flight for the New Shepard program and the 31st in its history.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 16 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-73
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 12-17
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
NROL-192
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Ninth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office to…


Long March 3
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
TJSW-17
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Soyuz 2.1a
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Soyuz MS-27
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Soyuz MS-27 will carry two cosmonauts and one astronaut to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome i…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Starlink Group 11-11
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.