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Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS)Soyuz-U-PVB31/6, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Cluster Rumba & Tango
Launched
August 9, 2000
Summary
Cluster Rumba & Tango launched on a Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) Soyuz-U-PVB from 31/6, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan on August 9, 2000. It was Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS)'s 105th launch, 10th this year and humanity's 4,414th orbital launch attempt. It was the 58th Soyuz-U-PVB flight and the 5th this year. The payload was bound for Elliptical Orbit (Elliptical). Cluster Rumba, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 263 × 17,099 km orbit inclined 64.7°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Elliptical Orbit (Elliptical)
- Milestone
- 58th Soyuz-U-PVB flight · 5th this yearRussian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS)'s 105th launch10th this yearhumanity's 4,414th orbital launch attempt47th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Cluster Rumba · NORAD 26463 · 2000-045 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- CLUSTER II-FM5
- Object ID
- 2000-045A
- Epoch
- 2000-08-09 15:00:49 UTC
- Mean motion
- 4.70107547 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.5592481
- Inclination
- 64.6704°
- Ascending node
- 162.2319°
- Arg. of perigee
- 357.6611°
- Mean anomaly
- 172.6195°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: Elliptical. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage; none still in orbit
- Cluster Rumba · NORAD 26463 · re-entered October 22, 2025
- Cluster Tango · NORAD 26464 · re-entered September 1, 2026
Fregat No. 1004 · deorbited August 9, 2000
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
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.
News
Cluster’s encore for reentry science a successThe Cluster mission danced its final dance as Tango reentered the atmosphere on 1 September, at 23:30:31 CEST. The end of the Cluster mission in 2024 turned into the start of the reentry data collection campaign. After four ‘targeted’ reentries, this is now a proven method of safe end-of-life disposal. It also enabled the repeated observation of the reentries by a plane full of scientists, creating a unique reentry data set that will improve our understanding of the destructive process and can inform the design of safer and more sustainable satellites in the future.
Observing Samba and Tango’s reentriesThe 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 transformed our understanding of Earth's magnetic environment. The final moments also offer a rare scientific opportunity for reentry observations from a plane.
Pad
31/6, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
329th launch from 31/6, 4th this year · 1,158th from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
430 launches from this pad · 1,565 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
23 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of KazakhstanOpen in maps
Questions
When did Cluster Rumba & Tango launch?
Cluster Rumba & Tango launched on August 9, 2000. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Cluster Rumba & Tango?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Cluster Rumba & Tango?
Soyuz-U-PVB, flown by Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS). Soyuz-U-PVB spec sheet
Where did Cluster Rumba & Tango launch from?
31/6, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan.
What orbit did Cluster Rumba & Tango reach?
Cluster Rumba, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 263 × 17,099 km orbit inclined 64.7°.
How many satellites did Cluster Rumba & Tango launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).