In the installation and test case of the site No. 254 of the Baikonur cosmodrome, the final stage of testing of the Transport Cargo Ship “Progress MS-18” has begun, which remained in the storage mode at the technical complex from August 2020. It became the third spacecraft of the development and production of the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, undergoing subsequent training along with the piloted ship “Soyuz MS-19” and the nodal module “Pier” as part of the MM-MO-MOD module.
After installation at the workplace and the division of the ship, the company’s specialists conducted an external inspection and control of the original state of the onboard systems, carried out operations for the preparation of the product and ground equipment to the upcoming tests. Then, in accordance with the schedule, inspections were carried out on the tightness of highways of refueling and thermostat systems.
Plan of work for the next week provides for the Cycle of Electrotidic Testing of the Progress MS-18, which include checking the functioning of the equipment of on-board computing and information and telemetry systems, unified command-telemetric and telemetry systems, as well as testing of automatic power systems, switching units BTCM and dynamic motion control and navigation system modes.
Start of the Soyuz-2.1A carrier missile with the MS-18 Progress Cargo Ship under the Program of the 79th Logistics Mission of the International Space Station is scheduled for the end of October 2021 from the Baikonur cosmodrome.
At the same time on the site number 254, autonomous electrical tests of the node module “Pier” the Russian segment of the International Space Station are continuing, and pneumatic tests of the Soyuz MS-19, intended for the delivery of participants of the 66th of the main expedition to the international Space station in early October of this year.