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Soyuz-2.1a with Progress M-25M cargo ship has been delivered to the launching pad

27 october 2014

On the 27th of October 2014 at 4.40 (Moscow time) Soyuz-2.1a launcher with Progress M-25M cargo ship was delivered to launching pad №31 at Baykonur cosmodrome.

Launch of Soyuz-2.1a with progress M-25M is planned for the 29th of October, 2014, at 10.09 (Moscow time).

It will be the first launch of the launcher with such cargo ship. Till now, it’s been possible to deliver cargo ship to the ISS only with Soyuz-U-PVB.

Soyuz-2.1a has been developed and produced at SRC Progress. The launch of the first launcher of such type was performed on the 8th of November, 2004. The launcher is equipped with a new digital control system having up-to-date elemental base united for all three stages; with a new digital radio-telemetering measuring system and with high-powered engines at the II and the III stages and because of these, lifting capacity of the Soyuz-2.1a by 300 kg increases lifting capacity of Soyuz-U-PVB, with is under operation now.

In flight test program with Soyuz-2.1a and Progress cargo ship it is planned to perform 4 launches: the first one is scheduled for the 29th of October, 2014, the next two launches are planned for 2015 and the last one is for 2016. After that it will be possible to perform manned launches with Soyuz-2.1a instead of Soyuz.

It is significant to note that companies producing onboard equipment and sensors, systems and units of Soyuz are only Russian.