Soyuz-U-PVB | Cluster Salsa & Samba
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Cluster is an magnetospheric research project, consisting of a constellation of four identical satellites. Part of the first Cornerstone Mission in the European Space Agency's long-term space science programme, the Cluster II satellites were built to replace the original Cluster mission, which was aborted after Ariane-5G's maiden flight in June 1996 failed to launch the satellites. The mission's objective is to research the Earth's magnetosphere and its interaction with the solar winds, via four identical satellites flying in formation which take simultaneous measurements to provide the most detailed three-dimensional study of changes and processes taking place in near-Earth space. The four satellites were launched in 2000 on two Soyuz-U Fregat rockets.
A Russian orbital launch vehicle. A version of the Soyuz-U with safety modifications to prevent and resist fires in all stages and the upper stage avionics compartment.
Progress Rocket Space Centre, formerly known as TsSKB-Progress, is a space science and aerospace research company which is known for manufacturing launch vehicles and satellites. Most notably, Progress Rocket Space Centre is the manufacturer of Soyuz launch vehicles.
INFO WIKI
Yesterday, on 31 August 2026, Samba reentered Earth’s atmosphere at 21:39:38 UTC / 23:39:38 CEST as the third of the four Cluster satellites. Samba had been lined up for a special 'targeted reentry' safely over the South Pacific Ocean, the…
The final two of ESA's pioneering Cluster spacecraft, Samba and Tango, will end their journeys as they burn up in our atmosphere on 31 August and 1 September respectively. Their targeted reentries mark the end of a mission that has transfo…
Paris, France (SPX) Feb 04, 2026 When satellites fall back to Earth, most of their structure burns up in the atmosphere, but engineers still lack detailed data on how real spacecraft actually break apart during reentry and which compo…
The first satellite in ESA’s Cluster quartet safely came back down to Earth last night in a world-first ‘targeted reentry’, marking a brilliant end to this remarkable mission.
The European Space Agency successfully deorbited the first of four Cluster space science satellites Sept. 8, performing a first-of-its-kind “targeted reentry” over the South Pacific.
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Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
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Third of EUMETSAT's third generation of weather satellite.
A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.