Soyuz-2.1b booster with Fregat upper stage and GLONASS satellite onboard to be launched at might on March 24 was installed onto the launch pad of Plesetsk spaceport, Aerospace defense troops representative colonel Alexei Zolotukhin reported on Friday.
On Friday, March 21,2014 spaceport specialists rolled out and installed Soyuz-2/1b rocket on #43 launch pad where operational crews well conduct o series of tests on booster and launching equipment systems and facilities, – Zolotukhin pointed out.
Fregat upper stage was filled with propellants last week. On Wednesday Plesetsk Space craft tests and appliance Centre operational crews finished assembling the head consisting of upper stage and Glonass-M space device and docked it with Soyuz-2.1b booster.
Soyuz-2.1b modernized booster was designed in accordance with Russian technology from materials manufactured in Russia, it differs from all previous models by digital control system. It enables to increase the accuracy of device orbiting to the given point of the Earth orbit.
Russian Global navigational satellite system devices have been launched from Plesetsk since February 26, 3011 when the first new generation Glonass-K space device was orbited by Soyuz-2.1 medium booster. Up to that time all Glonass space devices were launched from Baikonur spaceport by Proton heavy boosters.
