Soyuz prepared in French Guiana

摘要

The first two Russian Soyuz Fregat boosters are being testing and assembled at Europe's rnspaceport in French Guiana. The first rocket could be placed on the launch pad this July for rncombined booster and ground facilities tests, with a first launch targeted as early as rnSeptember. The first Soyuz launch from French Guiana will carry the UK's Avanti rnCommunications Hylas communications satellite. Two French Pleiades Earth observation rnsatellites will then be launched in early 2011. The first vehicle is pictured as it undergoes its rninitial build-up in the Launcher Integration Building at French Guiana, where two of the four rnfirst-stage strap-on boosters have been mated to the Soyuz' Block A core stage.