At the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle and the Progress MS-16 cargo spacecraft undergo final prelaunch operations. In accordance with the decision of the State Commission on February 12, 2021, the space rocket was taken to the launch complex of Site No. 31.

The rollout process from the assembly and test building began at 02:30 UTC. After verticalization and the service towers brought together at the Vostok launch complex (Site No. 31), specialists from subsidiaries of Roscosmos began working according to the first launch day schedule. After the rocket communications were docked with ground equipment, autonomous tests of the systems and assemblies of the cargo ship, the launch vehicle and the launch complex will be performed, with the the analysis and processing of the received telemetric information to be carried out.

Early Monday morning, the meeting of the State Commission will take place, which is to decide on filling the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with propellants and launching it. The launch itself is scheduled for February 15, 2021. The flight to the International Space Station will be performed according to the two-day (34-orbit) scheme.

The freighter will deliver to the ISS 600 kg of fuel for the refueling system, 420 liters of drinking water for the Rodnik system and 40.5 kg of compressed gases with additional nitrogen reserves, as well as about 1400 kg of various equipment and materials. The cargo bay also contains repair and recovery kit, consisting of a set of reinforcing pads with an adhesive bond to temporarily seal the detected defects in the Zvezda service module Transfer Chamber of the Russian segment of the station.