Tag: Russia
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Tensions mount between Russia and Europe over joint Spektr-RG telescope
The Russian scientific community is speaking out unanimously against the unauthorized activation of the German eROSITA telescope aboard the Russian Spektr-RG space observatory, as suggested by Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin. Spektr-RG, which stands for Spectrum + Röntgen + Gamma, the Russian-German high-energy astrophysics space observatory, was launched on 13 July 2019. It has two telescopes…
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Progress MS-20 docks to the International Space Station
A Soyuz 2.1a rocket has launched Progress MS-20 resupply spacecraft from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Progress MS-20 then conducted a fast-track, two-orbit rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS) before docking to the aft port on the Zvezda service module at approximately 13:02 UTC (09:02 a.m. EDT). The mission is the…
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Russia launches first orbital Angara 1.2 rocket with military payload
Russia’s Angara 1.2 rocket has launched a payload for the Russian Aerospace Forces, the VKS RF. This is Angara 1.2’s first operational flight, after one suborbital test flight to verify that all systems worked and three test flights of the Angara-A5 variant to prove its ability to launch payloads to a geostationary orbit. Not much…
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Russia launches Meridian communications satellite to Molniya Orbit
Russia has launched the Meridian-M n°20L satellite onboard a Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. The launch lifted off at 12:48:22 UTC bound for a very highly elliptical Molniya orbit of 900 x 39,000 km, with an inclination of 65°. This kind of orbit allows the satellite to remain over a certain…
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Progress MS-19 docks with the ISS
The Progress MS-19 spacecraft – on its 80th cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) – docked early on Thursday. Progress MS-19, also known as Progress 80P, launched on a Soyuz 2.1a rocket from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on February 15 at 9:25 am Baikonur time, or 11:25 pm…
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Soyuz launches mysterious Neitron military payload
A Soyuz rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia earlier this morning to deliver an unidentified Russian military satellite to orbit. The launch occurred on February 5 at 07:00 UTC, or 10:00 AM Moscow time. The satellite in question is likely called Neitron, a new type of military intelligence satellite. Notice to Airmen…
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Russia launches third and final Angara A5 demonstration mission
Russia has launched its third and final demonstration flight of the Angara A5 rocket on Monday, December 27. Angara is being developed and built by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and is intended to replace several existing launch vehicles. Angara attempted to place its 2,400 kg mass simulator in a near geostationary…
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Soyuz MS-20 lands following 12-day ISS mission
Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and Japanese spaceflight participants Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano have concluded their short, 12-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Soyuz MS-20 – carried the trio home – undocked from the Station’s Poisk module on December 19 at 23:50 UTC, ahead of landing in Kazakhstan on December 20 at 03:13…
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Crewed missions, new modules, and orbital debris — the ISS’s busy November
November was an eventful month for the International Space Station (ISS) and its crew members. From spacecraft departures and arrivals, new modules, science experiments, and close calls with orbital spacecraft debris, the Expedition 65 and 66 crews stayed busy aboard the orbiting laboratory. The ISS and its crew kicked off November with the docking of…
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Soyuz MS-18 touchdown in Kazakhstan
Cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky and spaceflight participants Yulia Peresild and Klim Shipenko have returned to Earth with a landing in Kazakhstan on Sunday, completing the Soyuz MS-18 mission. The three-person landing crew undocked from the nadir port on the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) at 01:13 UTC. Landing occurred at around 04:36 UTC. Soyuz MS-18 launched…