At the Baikonur cosmodrome, specialists from the Yuzhny Space Center (a branch of the Center for Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Facilities, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) have started preparatory work for the implementation of space programs in 2021. Deactivation of the Progress MS-16 transport cargo vehicle and the Soyuz MS-18 manned transport vehicle is being carried out in the assembly and test building.
The work is carried out jointly by the Center for Testing Technical Complexes of the Space Center “Yuzhny” and the Rocket and Space Corporation “Energia” named after SP Korolev (included in the perimeter of the State Corporation Roscosmos). Spacecraft launches under the Russian program of the International Space Station are scheduled for the first half of this year.
At the cosmodrome, work is also continuing on the preparation of the Fregat upper stage, which is being carried out by the specialists of the S.А. Lavochkin and the TsENKI branch – Space Center “Yuzhny”. The upper stage is designed to launch the Arktika-M spacecraft into near-earth orbit, scheduled for February 2021. “Arktika-M” will be delivered to Baikonur in January this year.