The Soyuz ST-B launcher that was employed for Friday’s mission is a four-stage launch vehicle that is composed of four boosters affixed to its first stage, a central core (second stage), a third stage, and a restartable Fregat upper stage. A Russian Soyuz rocket lifted off Friday from French Guiana with four broadband satellites for the O3b network, which provides high-speed connectivity to developing countries, ships and other customers who lack a reliable Internet link.
Arianespace launches mission VS18 from the Guiana Space Centre, a Soyuz rocket carrying a payload of four O3b communications satellites for SES.