MOSCOW, July 14 (AVN) - Soyuz-U light class booster rocket will lift off Baikonur state testing spaceport at 16.40 Moscow time (1240 GMT) on Saturday, the Military News Agency learned from the Strategic Missile Forces Staff.
The rocket is equipped with Fregat acceleration block that is tested during the flight. The two first tests of the Fregat of February 9 and March 20 were successful.
Now the rocket will orbit two Closter-2 German satellites. The satellites are intended for studying the vector of magnetic flux field, the activity of the cosmic particles and also the influence of the Sun flux on Earth and its magnetic field. The rocket will be launched by the combat squads of the SMF in association with the Rosaviakosm specialists.
The Soyuz-U can deliver 2,700 kg payload to 800 km orbit. Owing to the Fregat acceleration block its load capacity is increased to 4,200 kg and the orbit is elevated to 1,400 km from Earth.