“Arianespace’s 13th launch of 2021 with the 8th Soyuz of the year will place its satellite passengers into medium Earth orbit. The launcher will be carrying a total payload of approximately 1645 kg. The launch will be performed from Kourou, in French Guyana.”
Comment: I am quite interested in following Ariane’s work. They have the massive job of putting the Webb telescope into space at the end of this month. pl
https://spacelaunchnow.me/launch/soyuz-stbfregat-2-x-galileo
I have been looking forward to the James Webb telescope launch and the images it will send back for quite some time. I hope all goes well with its deployment.
A good description of the many things that must go right for the JWST to work right:
Inverse: “30 days of terror”: The James Webb telescope’s troubles are just getting started.
https://www.inverse.com/science/30-days-of-terror-james-webb-telscope
My view: if all these things go right, it will be a miracle.
20 minutes to Launch…
The rocket is of Russian design, moderate size (3t). Nothing to see with the last heavy Ariane5 (21t, low orbit, 111 launches including 5 failures). A Vega rocket (1,5t), Italian design has put in orbit 3 French spy satellites, as reported here https://turcopolier.com/ceres/ .
Launch pads area, control and telemetry, are common. The successful launches of the Russian and Italian rockets show that the ground infrastructures work well. The CSG (Launch pads Guyana) exists since 1968…
I hope that everything will go well for the James Webb telescope. Ariane5 is robust but you never know.
There is a regiment of Legion (battalion size) to protect the area and short range anti-aircraft missiles. For the launch of Ceres, Air Force put 2 Rafale and one ATL2. You need what you need.