Russia removes Soyuz rocket with 36 OneWeb satellites from launch pad (photos)

The outcome was expected, but the visuals are still dramatic.

Russia removed a rocket with 36 OneWeb internet satellites from its launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday.

The mission of the Soyuz was canceled on Friday due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The United Kingdom government should sell its stake in OneWeb if it wants to guarantee the satellites won't be used for military purposes. OneWeb was bought out of bankruptcy by the U.K. government.

Satellite photos show the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

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The demands were not met. On Wednesday, OneWeb ordered its employees to leave Baikonur and announced that it was suspending launches of its satellites from the site.

A broadband constellation will initially consist of 648 satellites. More than 400 of them have reached their destinations on Arianespace's Soyuz rockets. Baikonur, Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East and Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana are some of the places where OneWeb missions have been launched.

Soyuz launches were stopped at the site for the time being and employees were sent back to Russia. The agency will no longer sell Russian-made rocket engines to the US.

The space cooperation between Russia and the West has been strained since the invasion of Ukraine began. It is not clear what the future holds over both the short and long haul.

The satellites that were supposed to be launched are now in an assembly and testing facility at Baikonur. Arianespace, which has suspended Soyuz launches for the foreseeable future, wants to keep a close eye on this ground-bound hardware.

rianespace will work with its partners to ensure the well-being of the goods and means currently in Baikonur.

rianespace is in close contact with its customers and French and European authorities to assess the consequences of this situation and develop alternative solutions.

Mike Wall is the author of Out There, a book about the search for alien life. You can follow him on social media. Follow us on social media.