News Archive

On May 17, the assembly of the head part of the "Proton-M" space rocket for the launch of the Russian communications satellite "Yamal-601" began at the Baikonur cosmodrome. Currently, the "Yamal-601" assembled with the transition system developed by the Khrunichev Space Center. After completing the electrical checks of the “assembly” of the "Yamal-601" spacecraft with transition system, experts will assemble it with the "Breeze-M" upper stage. The launch of the "Proton-M" launch vehicle with the "Breeze-M" upper stage and the "Yamal-601" satellite will be performed in the interests of Gazprom Space Systems.

Specialists of Roscosmos enterprises at the Baikonur cosmodrome started operations to fuel the "Spectrum-RG" spacecraft with fuel components, and this operations will last for several days. The launch is scheduled for June 21, 2019. "Spectrum-RG" is a project, aimed for creating an orbital astrophysical observatory, designed to study the Universe in the X-ray wavelength range.

At the Baikonur cosmodrome the preparational works for the launch of the "Soyuz MS-14" spacecraft began. The "Soyuz-2.1a" launch vehicle stages were unloaded from the transportation cars in the Assembly and Testing facility of site № 31. Launch is scheduled for August 22, 2019.

On May 14, the "Fregat" upper stage arrived at the Vostochny space center. On May 15, the “Fregat” upper stage will be transported to the Assembly and Testing building of spacecrafts and installed at the workplace for further testing. In the near future, the cosmodrome is awaiting the arrival of the "Meteor-M" № 2-2 spacecraft.

On May 14 specialists of RSC "Energia" and "Yuzhny" Space Center performed the transportation of the "Soyuz MS-13" spacecraft into a vacuum chamber at the Baikonur cosmodrome for further leak tests. The launch of the "Soyuz MS-13" spacecraft to the International Space Station is scheduled for July 20, 2019 from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

The GLONASS national navigation satellite system will receive five new satellites in 2019. This is stated in the GLONASS Development Strategy until 2030, reports TASS News Agency. Now the GLONASS orbital group includes 26 satellites, 24 of them are in operation, one is at the flight test stage, another one is in the orbital reserve.

Preparations for the launch of the "Soyuz MS-15" spacecraft began at the Baikonur cosmodrome. In the Assembly and Testing building of site № 112 unloading of the stages of the "Soyuz-FG" launch vehicle from the carriages was performed.

On April 25, the Space Astrophysical Observatory "Spectrum-RG" was delivered from Sheremetyevo International Airport by AN-124-100 aircraft to Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch of the spacecraft into orbit will be carried out by the "Proton-M" carrier rocket (produced by Khrunichev Space Center) and the DM-03 upper stage (produced by RSC "Energia"). Launch is scheduled for June 21, 2019.

Spacewalk is dangerous and hard job. The necessary skills are helped to form a training on the specialized "Exit-2" simulator, where cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov (backup of Alexander Skvortsov) successfully completed the test session this week. Sergey Ryzhikov’s readiness to work in open space was checked by GCTC specialists and representatives of RSC "Energia". During the test training, Sergey Ryzhikov showed a good level of theoretical knowledge and practical skills for performing typical operations in open space.

The "Proton-M" launch vehicle, used to launch the "Yamal-601" satellite in the interests of Gazprom Space Systems, today, on April 24, was transported from the Khrunichev Space Center in Moscow to the Baikonur cosmodrome. Th train with components of the "Proton-M" launch vehicle (three stages of the launch vehicle, upper stage, transitional system for spacecraft installation and head fairing) arrived at the Tyura-Tam train station of the cosmodrome and after passing through customs formalities was transported to the technical complex "Proton". The "Yamal-601" satellite was manufactured by the French company Thales Alenia Space France according to the order of Gazprom Space Systems for the renovation and development of the Russian orbital "Yamal" group. The "Yamal-60" satellite will replace the "Yamal-202" satellite in orbit and will provide fixed-line communications and data services in the C-band for a large part of Russia, as well as in the CIS and Europe , Middle East and Southeast Asia.