On December 18, 2019 at 08:54 UTC the Russian "Soyuz-ST-A” rocket-carrier was launched from Kourou launch site in French Guiana. The rocket equipped with the "Fregat” booster orbited 5 satellites. The Russian-built Soyuz rocket orbited the Italian “COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation” (CSG 1) radar surveillance satellite; European Space Agency’s CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite); three European CubeSats.