A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's Far East on Thursday carrying 36 UK telecommunications and internet satellites, the Roscosmos space agency said.

The launch, carried out by Arianespace from the Vostochny cosmodrome, brought the number of in-orbit satellites to 146, part of a fleet designed to deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity, the satellite operator said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/russian-soyuz-spacecraft-launches-38-satellites-for-18-countries-372299" hreflang="en">Russian Soyuz spacecraft launches 38 satellites for 18 countries</a>

OneWeb, a London-headquartered company, is working to complete the construction of a constellation of low earth orbit satellites providing enhanced broadband and other services to countries around the world.

The company is competing in the race to provide fast internet for the world's remote areas via satellites along with tech billionaire Elon Musk and fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

OneWeb said this was the second in a five-launch programme that will enable its connectivity to reach all regions north of 50 degrees latitude by the middle of 2021.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-soyuz-spacecraft-takes-quickest-crew-trip-to-international-space-station-334731">Russia's Soyuz spacecraft takes quickest crew trip to International Space Station</a>

"These services will cover the United Kingdom, Alaska, Northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic Seas and Canada, and will be switched on before the end of the year," it said.

"OneWeb then intends to make global services available in 2022," it added.

OneWeb resumed flights in December after emerging from bankruptcy protection with $1 billion in equity investment from a consortium of the British government and India's Bharti Enterprises, its new owners.

Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur Greg Wyler, OneWeb planned to launch some 650 satellites into low earth orbit to provide universal internet but struggled to raise funds.

Images released by Roscosmos showed the Soyuz rocket taking off against clear blue skies Thursday morning at 0247 GMT.&nbsp;

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Сегодняшний пуск стал пятым в рамках пусковой кампании <a href="https://twitter.com/OneWeb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OneWeb</a> 🚀 
 
Средства выведения Роскосмоса — ракета-носитель «Союз-2.1б» и разгонный блок «Фрегат» — отработали в штатном режиме! 
 
Давайте еще раз вспомним сегодняшнее утро на космодроме <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Восточный</a> <a href="https://t.co/UGgQU92F1m">pic.twitter.com/UGgQU92F1m</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1374990285680353285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Roscosmos said in a statement that the launch and separation "took place normally".

"We can confirm our sixth separation is complete. Over half our satellites have now been released!" OneWeb wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

OneWeb's first six satellites were launched by a Russian-made Soyuz rocket from the space centre in Kourou in French Guiana in February 2019.

The company launched 68 more from the Baikanour launch site in Kazakhstan last year and another 36 from the Vostochny cosmodrome in December.&nbsp;

The Vostochny launch site is one of Russia's most important space projects, designed to reduce reliance on the Baikonur space centre Moscow currently rents from Kazakhstan.

Its construction has for years been tainted by multiple controversies including corruption, and the project has been consistently behind schedule.&nbsp;

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's Far East on Thursday carrying 36 UK telecommunications and internet satellites, the Roscosmos space agency said.

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's Far East on Thursday carrying 36 UK telecommunications and internet satellites, the Roscosmos space agency said. The launch, carried out by Arianespace from the Vostochny cosmodrome, brought the number of in-orbit satellites to 146, part of a fleet designed to deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity, the satellite operator said. Also read| Russian Soyuz spacecraft launches 38 satellites for 18 countries OneWeb, a London-headquartered company, is working to complete the construction of a constellation of low earth orbit satellites providing enhanced broadband and other services to countries around the world. The company is competing in the race to provide fast internet for the world's remote areas via satellites along with tech billionaire Elon Musk and fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos of Amazon. OneWeb said this was the second in a five-launch programme that will enable its connectivity to reach all regions north of 50 degrees latitude by the middle of 2021. Also see| Russia's Soyuz spacecraft takes quickest crew trip to International Space Station "These services will cover the United Kingdom, Alaska, Northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic Seas and Canada, and will be switched on before the end of the year," it said. "OneWeb then intends to make global services available in 2022," it added. OneWeb resumed flights in December after emerging from bankruptcy protection with $1 billion in equity investment from a consortium of the British government and India's Bharti Enterprises, its new owners. Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur Greg Wyler, OneWeb planned to launch some 650 satellites into low earth orbit to provide universal internet but struggled to raise funds. Images released by Roscosmos showed the Soyuz rocket taking off against clear blue skies Thursday morning at 0247 GMT. Сегодняшний пуск стал пятым в рамках пусковой кампании @OneWeb 🚀 Средства выведения Роскосмоса — ракета-носитель «Союз-2.1б» и разгонный блок «Фрегат» — отработали в штатном режиме! Давайте еще раз вспомним сегодняшнее утро на космодроме #Восточный pic.twitter.com/UGgQU92F1m — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) March 25, 2021 × Roscosmos said in a statement that the launch and separation "took place normally". "We can confirm our sixth separation is complete. Over half our satellites have now been released!" OneWeb wrote on Twitter. OneWeb's first six satellites were launched by a Russian-made Soyuz rocket from the space centre in Kourou in French Guiana in February 2019. The company launched 68 more from the Baikanour launch site in Kazakhstan last year and another 36 from the Vostochny cosmodrome in December. The Vostochny launch site is one of Russia's most important space projects, designed to reduce reliance on the Baikonur space centre Moscow currently rents from Kazakhstan. Its construction has for years been tainted by multiple controversies including corruption, and the project has been consistently behind schedule.

Russia's Soyuz spacecraft blasts off to extend internet orbit

A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday carrying 38 foreign satellites after takeoff was twice postponed due to technical issues, Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

Video published by Roscosmos showed the Soyuz blaster launching against grey and cloudy skies at 0607 GMT.

"The Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage and 38 spacecraft from 18 countries took off from the Baikonur cosmodrome," Roscosmos said on its Twitter account.&nbsp;

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Первые фотографии сегодняшнего пуска <a href="https://twitter.com/gk_launch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gk_launch</a> 📸🚀 
 
С 11:35 до 11:37 мск запланировано отделение первой партии спутников попутной полезной нагрузки (японские спутники GRUS), а с 13:13 до 13:43 мск ожидается отделение второй партии на третьей целевой орбите (оставшиеся аппараты) <a href="https://t.co/df2pVnC2jx">pic.twitter.com/df2pVnC2jx</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1373910640826449921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The rocket will place in orbit 38 satellites from more than a dozen countries, including South Korea, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy and Brazil.

Among them is Challenge-1, the first satellite made completely in Tunisia, which was created by the Telnet telecommunications group.

The launch was twice postponed from Saturday after a surge in voltage was detected.

Russia plans to send up a second satellite in 2023 and, combined, the two will offer round-the-clock, all-weather monitoring of the Arctic Ocean and the surface of the Earth, Roscosmos said.

It had launched its space satellite Arktika-M on February 28 on a mission to monitor the climate and environment in the Arctic amid a push by the Kremlin to expand the country's activities in the region.

The Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average over the last three decades and Moscow is seeking to develop the energy-rich region, investing in the Northern Sea Route for shipping across its long northern flank as ice melts.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian space sector has lagged behind international competitors, plagued by corruption scandals and technological stagnation.

In 2018, a Soyuz rocket carrying a Russian cosmonaut and a NASA astronaut failed mid-flight, forcing the crew to carry out an emergency landing. Both survived without injuries.&nbsp;

A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday carrying 38 foreign satellites after takeoff was twice postponed due to technical issues, Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday carrying 38 foreign satellites after takeoff was twice postponed due to technical issues, Russian space agency Roscosmos said. Video published by Roscosmos showed the Soyuz blaster launching against grey and cloudy skies at 0607 GMT. "The Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage and 38 spacecraft from 18 countries took off from the Baikonur cosmodrome," Roscosmos said on its Twitter account. Первые фотографии сегодняшнего пуска @gk_launch 📸🚀 С 11:35 до 11:37 мск запланировано отделение первой партии спутников попутной полезной нагрузки (японские спутники GRUS), а с 13:13 до 13:43 мск ожидается отделение второй партии на третьей целевой орбите (оставшиеся аппараты) pic.twitter.com/df2pVnC2jx — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) March 22, 2021 × The rocket will place in orbit 38 satellites from more than a dozen countries, including South Korea, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy and Brazil. Among them is Challenge-1, the first satellite made completely in Tunisia, which was created by the Telnet telecommunications group. The launch was twice postponed from Saturday after a surge in voltage was detected. Russia plans to send up a second satellite in 2023 and, combined, the two will offer round-the-clock, all-weather monitoring of the Arctic Ocean and the surface of the Earth, Roscosmos said. It had launched its space satellite Arktika-M on February 28 on a mission to monitor the climate and environment in the Arctic amid a push by the Kremlin to expand the country's activities in the region. The Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average over the last three decades and Moscow is seeking to develop the energy-rich region, investing in the Northern Sea Route for shipping across its long northern flank as ice melts. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian space sector has lagged behind international competitors, plagued by corruption scandals and technological stagnation. In 2018, a Soyuz rocket carrying a Russian cosmonaut and a NASA astronaut failed mid-flight, forcing the crew to carry out an emergency landing. Both survived without injuries.

Russian Soyuz spacecraft launches 38 satellites for 18 countries

Russia's space agency <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/crew-of-soyuz-rocket-alive-after-emergency-landing-russian-space-agency-170888">Roscosmos said today it has</a> "successfully launched into orbit" the first manned Soyuz flight to the International Space Station(ISS).

The Soyuz team consists of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of Canadian Space Agency.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Soyuz&nbsp;MS-11 flight lifted off from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

It is the first manned voyage to the ISS since the mission in October was aborted mid-air because of a rocket malfunction.&nbsp; 
According to Russian investigators, the rocket failure was caused due to sensor damage.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoyuzMS11?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoyuzMS11</a>: T+08:48 min → third stage cut-off and separation of the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft! Oleg Kononenko, <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_DavidS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_DavidS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroAnnimal</a> are on their way to the International <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>. 
 
Docking to ISS on December 3 at 17:36 UTC <a href="https://t.co/cKyX3zpM3Y">pic.twitter.com/cKyX3zpM3Y</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1069557076798709760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Before the flight, US astronaut Anne Mcclain had said that she trusted the rocket.

"We trust our rocket. We're ready to fly. I think the space flight it's a hard task, it's a complicated task," she said, adding, "we know that systems will fail and so the importance is having redundant systems, and even twice redundant system."

"I think what we learned from the inside in October was how safe this rocket was," she said.

The ISS space laboratory has been orbiting the Earth since 1998.&nbsp; 
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Russia's space agency Roscosmos said today it has "successfully launched into orbit" the first manned Soyuz flight to the International Space Station(ISS). The Soyuz team consists of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of Canadian Space Agency.

Russia's space agency Roscosmos said today it has "successfully launched into orbit" the first manned Soyuz flight to the International Space Station(ISS). The Soyuz team consists of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of Canadian Space Agency. The Soyuz MS-11 flight lifted off from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is the first manned voyage to the ISS since the mission in October was aborted mid-air because of a rocket malfunction. According to Russian investigators, the rocket failure was caused due to sensor damage. #SoyuzMS11: T+08:48 min → third stage cut-off and separation of the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft! Oleg Kononenko, @Astro_DavidS and @AstroAnnimal are on their way to the International @Space_Station. Docking to ISS on December 3 at 17:36 UTC pic.twitter.com/cKyX3zpM3Y — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) December 3, 2018 × Before the flight, US astronaut Anne Mcclain had said that she trusted the rocket. "We trust our rocket. We're ready to fly. I think the space flight it's a hard task, it's a complicated task," she said, adding, "we know that systems will fail and so the importance is having redundant systems, and even twice redundant system." "I think what we learned from the inside in October was how safe this rocket was," she said. The ISS space laboratory has been orbiting the Earth since 1998.

Russia's Soyuz rocket blasts off into space to International Space Station

Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin retained an enviable sang-froid Thursday as he realised while travelling at thousands of miles an hour that his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/crew-of-soyuz-rocket-alive-after-emergency-landing-russian-space-agency-170888">spacecraft would have to make an emergency landing</a>.&nbsp;

"An accident with the booster, 2 minutes, 45 seconds. That was a quick flight," he said in a calm voice in a streaming video of the incident.&nbsp;

Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Hague had blasted off on a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.&nbsp;

But around two minutes into the voyage, as the rocket was tearing through space at about 4,700 miles (7,563 kilometres) per hour, three short beeps were heard -- indicating an emergency situation.&nbsp;

An "anomaly" with the booster led to the launch being aborted, NASA later said.

"We're tightening our seatbelts," Ovchinin said on the video.

Cosmonauts and astronauts are put through gruelling training, including exercises involving weightlessness and centrifugal force that prepare them to control their reactions in real-life scenarios.

The two men returned to earth safely and a picture released by the Russian space agency Roscosmos showed them having their blood pressure taken in a Kazakh city near their landing site.

Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin retained an enviable sang-froid Thursday as he realised while travelling at thousands of miles an hour that his spacecraft would have to make an emergency landing.

Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin retained an enviable sang-froid Thursday as he realised while travelling at thousands of miles an hour that his spacecraft would have to make an emergency landing. "An accident with the booster, 2 minutes, 45 seconds. That was a quick flight," he said in a calm voice in a streaming video of the incident. Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Hague had blasted off on a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. But around two minutes into the voyage, as the rocket was tearing through space at about 4,700 miles (7,563 kilometres) per hour, three short beeps were heard -- indicating an emergency situation. An "anomaly" with the booster led to the launch being aborted, NASA later said. "We're tightening our seatbelts," Ovchinin said on the video. Cosmonauts and astronauts are put through gruelling training, including exercises involving weightlessness and centrifugal force that prepare them to control their reactions in real-life scenarios. The two men returned to earth safely and a picture released by the Russian space agency Roscosmos showed them having their blood pressure taken in a Kazakh city near their landing site.

'That was a short flight': Crew of failed rocket keeps cool

The two-man crew of a Soyuz rocket are alive after they were forced to make an emergency landing Thursday following lift-off to the International Space Station, the Russian space agency said.

"The emergency rescue system worked, the vessel was able to land in Kazakhstan... the crew are alive," Roscosmos said in a tweet.

NASA rookie astronaut Nick Hague and second-time flyer Aleksey Ovchinin of the Russian space agency landed without injuries, the Interfax news agency reported.&nbsp;

"The launch had a problem with the booster (rocket) a few seconds after the first stage separation and we can confirm now that the crew has started to go into ballistic descent mode," the voice-over on a NASA livestream from mission control in Houston said.

A tweet from the American space agency's account read: "Search and rescue teams are in the air and heading towards the expected touchdown location for the Soyuz spacecraft returning to Earth carrying two crew members."

The Kremlin confirmed the men had survived. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists: "Thank God the cosmonauts are alive".

The two-man crew of a Soyuz rocket are alive after they were forced to make an emergency landing Thursday following lift-off to the International Space Station, the Russian space agency said.

The two-man crew of a Soyuz rocket are alive after they were forced to make an emergency landing Thursday following lift-off to the International Space Station, the Russian space agency said. "The emergency rescue system worked, the vessel was able to land in Kazakhstan... the crew are alive," Roscosmos said in a tweet. NASA rookie astronaut Nick Hague and second-time flyer Aleksey Ovchinin of the Russian space agency landed without injuries, the Interfax news agency reported. "The launch had a problem with the booster (rocket) a few seconds after the first stage separation and we can confirm now that the crew has started to go into ballistic descent mode," the voice-over on a NASA livestream from mission control in Houston said. A tweet from the American space agency's account read: "Search and rescue teams are in the air and heading towards the expected touchdown location for the Soyuz spacecraft returning to Earth carrying two crew members." The Kremlin confirmed the men had survived. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists: "Thank God the cosmonauts are alive".

Watch: Russian Soyuz rocket makes emergency landing in Kazakhstan after lift-off to ISS