Russia is going to carry out more than 10 launches of Soyuz-2 carrier rockets from the Baikonur cosmodrome this year, Ruslan Mukhamedzhanov, the head of the Centre for the Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Facilities, said on Monday.

"Twelve launches will be carried out from this site [in 2021]. These are federal launches, and commercial launches [in the interests of UK communications company] OneWeb," Mukhamedzhanov said, as broadcast by Russian space agency Roscosmos on YouTube.

The first launch was carried out earlier in the day, when the Soyuz-2.1, a carrier rocket, lifted off the Progress MS-16 cargo spacecraft, delivering food and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). Baikonur's 31st site is specifically reserved for Soyuz-2 rockets.

In January, a source in the space and rocket industry told Sputnik that from 15 to 17 space launches from Baikonur were planned for 2021. In particular, three Soyuz manned spaceships, three Progress cargo spaceships, two modules of the ISS, Ekspress-AMU3 and Ekspress-AMU7 telecommunications satellites, three groups of OneWeb spacecraft and the Arktika-M meteorological satellite are set to be placed into orbit.

Baikonur is the world's first space launch site constructed by the Soviet Union in 1955. Russia is leasing the facility, which is located in Kazakhstan, until 2050.

Source: RIA Novosti

Related Links
Roscosmos
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

UK government publishes environmental guidance for spaceflight
London, UK (SPX) Feb 12, 2021
The first-ever launch into space from British soil is now one step closer, with the government today (10 February 2021) publishing its environmental guidance for the spaceflight regulator. A newly established consultation will also set out how the regulator, which will oversee all launch and space activity from the UK, should meet environmental objectives - helping ensure space travel fits into a modern, greener Britain. The consultation, which will last for 6 weeks, forms part of the Space ... read more