On the Baikonur cosmodrome, the tests of the MS-18 transport cargo ship were completed in the vacuum chamber of the installation and test case No. 254.
In accordance with the schedule of work, the specialists of the Rocket and Space Corporation “Energy” named after S.P. Queen and Space Center “South” (branch Center for exploitation of objects of ground-based space infrastructure, both enterprises are part of the Roskosmos State Corporation) performed a cycle of pneumatic testing of the program “Progress MS-18”, which continued from September 28, 2021.
Automated control of high requirements for the tightness of the compartments and side systems of the ship in the ground conditions passed without comments. Today, the “Progress MS-18” ship was transported back to the technical complex and installed in a dynamic stand for further pre-flight training.
Start of the Soyuz-2.1A carrier launch vehicle 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.