At the Baikonur Cosmodrome preparations are continuing for the launch of the “Progress MS-13” cargo spacecraft under the International Space Station program.
Specialists of the RSC “Energia” and the Yuzhny Space Center (parts of Roscosmos State Corporation) completed the verification of the ship’s systems and compartments for leaks in a vacuum chamber, using helium air mixture.
No any problems were found during the tests.
Tests for tightness in a vacuum chamber using a helium-air mixture is the most objective monitoring method in ground conditions.
Earlier, in the Assembly and Testing building at Baikonur, specialists completed the mechanical assembly of the “package” (blocks of the first and second stages) of the “Soyuz-2.1a” launch vehicle.
It is currently in storage mode.
The launch of the “Soyuz-2.1a” launch vehicle with the “Progress MS-13” cargo ship is scheduled for December 2019.