Russia aims to sell cancelled OneWeb launches
April 13, 2022
By Chris Forrester
Russia’s Roscosmos space agency says it will offer launch services on “favourable preferential terms” to customers wanting to utilise the cancelled OneWeb launch contracts (which were with Arianespace).
But first, according to Roscosmos director general, Dmitry Rogozin, clients have to have a friendly and respectful attitude toward Russia and its rocket and space industry.
“Considering that the rockets are already paid for, we are ready to offer other foreign partners launch services at discounted price. These are the countries that refused to join sanctions and treat our country and rocket and space industry respectfully,” Rogozin said.
According to reports there are six Soyuz-2.1b rockets ready, and “brand new” and the planning for their use is already underway. Rogozin added that Russian private satellite engineering companies have already applied to use the launches and rockets earmarked for OneWeb, but their satellites are too lightweight, therefore they will be launched as an associated payload with larger satellites.
Rogozin was speaking on April 12th, Russia’s ‘Cosmonauts Day’ and celebrating the day in 1961 when Yuri Gagarin made the first-ever human flight to outer space. Gagarin flew from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, but Russian president Vladimir Putin also used a visit to the new ’Far East’ cosmodrome in Vostochny to celebrate the occasion.