Russian Fregat Upper Stage Began Fueling At Vostochny Cosmodrome – Operator Of Launches

Russia’s Center for Operation of Space Ground Based Infrastructure (TsENKI) said on Saturday that it had began fueling the Fregat upper stage ahead of the upcoming Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome

BLAGOVESHCHENSK (Russia) (UrduPoint news / Sputnik – ) Russia‘s Center for Operation of Space Ground Based Infrastructure (TsENKI) said on Saturday that it had began fueling the Fregat upper stage ahead of the upcoming Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

TsENKI is the Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos’ subsidiary responsible for preparing and carrying out launches of spacecraft.

“On June 1, 2019, as scheduled, TsENKI specialists … transported the Fregat upper stage at the Vostochny Cosmodrome from the installation-testing complex to the fueling-neutralizing station in order to supply [the Fregat] with fuel and compressed gas,” TsENKI said.

Prior to being delivered to the fueling station, the upper stage underwent pneumatic and electrical testing.

According to the schedule, the Fregat upper stage will be in the fueling station until June 22, after which time it will go back to the installation-testing complex for the assembly of the Space Head Module.

The Soyuz-2.1b will carry the Meteor-M 2.2 meteorological satellite, which was delivered to the Vostochny Cosmodrome last week, into orbit.

Roscosmos said in April that the first launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome in 2019 had been provisionally scheduled for July 5, though the date of the launch could be changed.

The launch of Meteor-M 2.2 was initially scheduled for late 2018 but was delayed after it was determined that the spacecraft was not ready. Four more such satellites will be launched in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024