Arianespace Soyuz STA Fregat Falcon Eye 2
Soyuz STA Fregat
Status
Success
Date
2 DEC 2020
01:33
Mission Overview
Falcon Eye 2 is a high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite for the United Arab Emirates. Built by Airbus Defense and Space with an optical imaging payload from Thales Alenia Space, Falcon Eye is the second of two surveillance satellites ordered by the UAE's military.
Rocket
Soyuz STA Fregat
Mission Type
Government/Top Secret
Orbit
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Stages
3
Livestream
Rocket Details
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.
Height
46.3 m
Diameter
2.95 m
Launch Mass
312 T
