Arianespace’s launch campaign for Soyuz with the Pleiades 1B spacecraft has moved into its final countdown phase for liftoff tonight from the Spaceport in French Guiana.
This mission, designated Flight VS04 in the company’s launcher family numbering system, is set for liftoff at exactly 11:02:50 p.m. local time in French Guiana. Its dual-use very-high-resolution satellite payload will be deployed 55 minutes later, following two burns of Soyuz’ Fregat upper stage.
The launch had been postponed yesterday after an anomaly occurred during the countdown.
Flight VS04 will be Arianespace’s fourth Soyuz launch from French Guiana since the Russian-built medium-lift vehicle entered service at the Spaceport in October 2011.
