Cluster Rumba & Tango

Overview

Destination: Elliptical Orbit
Mission: Earth Science

Elliptical Orbit 31/6 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Cluster is an magnetospheric research project, consisting of a constellation of four identical satellites. Part of the first Cornerstone Mission in the European Space Agency's long-term space science programme, the Cluster II satellites were built to replace the original Cluster mission, which was aborted after Ariane-5G's maiden flight in June 1996 failed to launch the satellites. The mission's objective is to research the Earth's magnetosphere and its interaction with the solar winds, via four identical satellites flying in formation which take simultaneous measurements to provide the most detailed three-dimensional study of changes and processes taking place in near-Earth space. The four satellites were launched in 2000 on two Soyuz-U Fregat rockets.

Soyuz-U-PVB

Family:
Configuration: U-PVB

A Russian orbital launch vehicle. A version of the Soyuz-U with safety modifications to prevent and resist fires in all stages and the upper stage avionics compartment.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    51.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.0 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    3.0 m
  • Launch Mass
    313.0 T
  • Thrust
Family
  • Name
    Soyuz-U-PVB
  • Family
  • Variant
    U-PVB
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Soyuz-U-PVB
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    6900.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

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

SpaceDaily

ESA adjusts Cluster orbits for rare twin reentry campaign

Paris, France (SPX) Feb 04, 2026 When satellites fall back to Earth, most of their structure burns up in the atmosphere, but engineers still lack detailed data on how real spacecraft actually break apart during reentry and which compo…

ESA

Cluster mission set to end with reentry over South Pacific

On 8 September 2024, the first of four satellites that make up ESA’s Cluster mission will reenter Earth’s atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area.

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

31/6


Long March 2D
Success
23 hours, 7 minutes ago
4 x SatNet test satellites
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Officially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellites". Probably 4 test satellites for the Chinese state-owned LEO commu…


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 1 hour ago
Starlink Group 17-41
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Atlas V 551
Success
1 day, 17 hours ago
Amazon Leo (LA-07)
Space Launch Complex 41 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, thi…


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 4 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-53
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 7A
Success
5 days ago
TJSW-24
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

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


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 2 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-37
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 5 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-47
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2F/G
Success
1 week ago
Shenzhou 23
Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Shenzhou 23 will be the 23rd flight of the Shenzhou program.


Starship
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Flight 12
Orbital Launch Pad 2 - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

12th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Maiden Flight of Starship V3. The flight test’s primary goal will be to demonstrate eac…


Electron
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.