News

Cargo Vehicle Progress МС-02 is admitted for propellant fueling

March 18, 2016

Today, on March 18, the technical management and the state commission at the Baikonur cosmodrome confirmed the readiness of transport cargo vehicle Progress МС-02 for propellant fueling and compressed gases filling.

In accordance with the decision announced at the end of the meeting, the cargo vehicle combined propulsion system and fueling system are admitted for operations on the fueling station. The fueling station equipment is ready. Technological fueling operations are scheduled on March 21-22, 2016.

The launch of TCV Progress МС-02 under the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled on March 31, 2016.

The cargo vehicles of a new modification Progress МС and Soyuz МС were developed and built as a result of heavy upgrade of Progress-М and Soyuz-ТМА vehicles.

The onboard command radio system Kvant-В is replaced with a unified command telemetry system (ЕКТС) with additional telemetry channel. A new command radio link makes it possible to receive signals via relay satellites Luch-5, ensuring significantly expanded vehicle communications coverage up to 70% of the orbit duration.

Vehicles of a new modification are equipped with a state-of-the-art onboard radio rendezvous and docking system Kurs-NА. As compared to the earlier version of Kurs-A, the modified system features improved mass-dimensional characteristics and makes it possible to exclude one of the three radio antennas from the content of the vehicle equipment.

The digital television system is used on the vehicles instead of the analog television system Klest, which makes it possible to maintain communication between the vehicle and the station via the proximity communication equipment.

RSC Energia-developed new digital standby loop control unit (БУРК), an upgraded unit of angular velocity sensors БДУС-3А and light-emitting-diode headlight СФОК were also integrated in the onboard equipment of the upgraded Soyuz MS and Progress MS vehicles instead of the equipment withdraw from production.

Due to application of the new ground and airborne radio systems it became possible to use modern data transmission protocols, resulting in improved stability of the vehicle control system operation.

Most of the technical solutions implemented in the design of Soyuz MS and Progress MS vehicles will be used in development of a new-generation human transportation vehicle (ПТК) being developed by RSC Energia.

 

OAO RSC Energia (included in State Corporation Roscosmos) is the leader in the rocket and space industry, and the prime contractor for manned space systems. It conducts work on the development of unmanned space and rocket systems (launch vehicles and orbital transfer vehicles), and high-technology systems for various non-space applications. Since August 2014 the Corporation is headed by V.L. Solntsev.