Soyuz ready for launch

The Soyuz launch vehicle that is used at Europe’s Spaceport is the Soyuz-2 version known as Soyuz-ST.

With a launch location close to the equator, Soyuz-2 has an improved performance and is able to carry up to 3 tonnes into geostationary transfer orbit, compared to the 1.7 tonnes that can be launched from the traditional site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.