Soyuz-2.1A carrier rocket was developed and manufactured in the Progress Rocket and Space Center (Samara, part of the state corporation “Roskosmos”). It is equipped with a new digital control system, one for all three steps, as well as a new digital radiotelemetric measurement system. Installation on the “Soyuz-2” Digital Control System increased the accuracy of the removal, stability and controllability of the carrier missile, allowed the use of large-sized fairies.
“Soyuz-2.1a” in a bundle with an accelerating unit “Frigate” (production Scientific and Production Association named after S.A. Lavochkin, enters Roscosmos) Designed to launch automatic spacecraft to low, medium, high-elliptical, solar synchronous , geophech and geostationary orbits.
Since 2011, launchwear starts from the Gwiang Space Center in South America. Since 2014, the “Soyuz-2.1a” carrier launch vehicle is used to launch transport cargo ships “Progress M” and “Progress MS”, and from 2020 – for manned ships “Union of MS” (first in unmanned mode – in August 2019 of the year). In April 2016, the “Soyuz-2.1A” start with the “Volga” (production of the RCC “progress”) was opened a new Russian cosmodrome eastern.
Development of the Soyuz-2 carrier missile was carried out on the basis of the “Union” carrier missile in two stages (steps 1A and 1B).
Stage of Modernization 1A:
- The engines of 1-2 steps are applied nozzle heads with improved mixing formation;
- A single-performance control system for all three steps is developed;
- Digital radiotelemetric system is applied;
- The design of the block 3 of the steps is as unified as possible both for step 1A and for step 1b.
Stage of Modernization 1B:
- In addition to the events of step 1A, a new engine is used on a block 3 of the steps with increased energy characteristics.
This made it possible to improve the accuracy of the removal, stability and controllability of the carrier missile, as well as use the assembly-protective unit with a head fairing with a diameter of 4.11 m and a length of 11.43 m.