Photos: Soyuz rocket climbs away from South American launch pad

January 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Soyuz rocket took off from French Guiana on Friday with Hispasat 36W-1, a communications satellite designed to connect Latin America and Europe with video, data and cellular phone services.

The three-stage booster and its Fregat upper stage delivered the 7,100-pound (3,220-kilogram) spacecraft into geostationary orbit about a half-hour after liftoff, which occurred at 0103:34 GMT Saturday (8:03:34 p.m. EST; 10:03:34 p.m. French Guiana time Friday).

It was the 16th launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket from the French-run Guiana Space Center, and the first flight of the year managed under the auspices of Arianespace.

Read our full story for details on the mission.

Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2017
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron
Credit: ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut, 2017

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