Maiden test flight of the Fregat upper stage, launched on a Soyuz-U-PVB from Baikonur carrying the IRDT-1 inflatable reentry demonstrator. Fregat fired twice to reach a roughly 600 km orbit before the IRDT shield inflated and returned a capsule to Kazakhstan, validating the stage ahead of the Cluster II missions.
- Outcome
- Success
- Orbit
- LEO
- Low Earth orbit
- Payload to orbit
- 966 kg
- Flight
- 1st
- of 4 Soyuz-U/Fregat flights
- Date and time
- 8 February 2000, 23:20 UTC
- Rocket
- Soyuz-U/Fregat
- Builder
- Progress RSC
- Launch site
- 31/6, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
- Payload
- Earth Science
- International designator
- 2000-009
- Launches in 2000
- 9th of 85
See it in orbit
Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.
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