Russian-built rocket launches complex carrying 6 satellites

Soyuz rocket carrying six satellites launched from French Guiana in the Russian-built rocket model’s second mission this year. It was to first release a French Earth observation satellite, Pleiades 1. Next to come would be four French micro-satellites and a Chilean Earth observation satellite was to be released last. Lift-off occurred on schedule at 23:03 local time, Friday (02:03 GMT, Saturday), with Pleiades-1 being dropped off in its 700km-high polar orbit some 55 minutes later. Several minutes later, the rocket released four ELISA (Electronic Intelligence by Satellite) demonstrator satellites to test space-based mapping of radar transmitters globally for France''s Defence Procurement Agency (DGA). Pleiades is designed to provide images to military and civilian customers, while the four smaller satellites will be used to gather electronic intelligence for the military, according to Arianespace. A sixth satellite, for Chile''s armed forces, is scheduled for separation at 0639 GMT.