CryoSat-2 inside Dnepr rocket

CryoSat-2 will be launched by a Dnepr – a converted SS-18 intercontinental ballistic missile – from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Dnepr is a three-stage vehicle. The first and second stages are original SS-18 stages, used without any modification. The third stage is a modified standard SS-18 third stage equipped with a liquid propellant, two-mode propulsion unit that operates based on a 'drag' scheme in which it flies backwards, dragging the satellite behind it to ensure the most accurate orbit injection.