Final rocket preparations before Vasilevskaya's flight into space

The launch of the Soyuz MS-25 manned rocket and transport spacecraft with a participant of the space flight from Belarus is scheduled for March 21st. Final preparations are currently underway at the cosmodrome: in the morning, a rocket was taken out of the assembly and test building, and later it was installed on the launch pad. All these events have a clear name: the first launch day. The President of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics named after K.E. Tsiolkovsky, Igor Barmin, explained that these are standard procedures before flying into space.

“On the first launch day, the on-board systems of the launch vehicle and the spacecraft are being tested, and the operation of the technological equipment of the launch complex is being checked.  On the second launch day, a general test of the launch vehicle will be conducted – the cyclogram of the carrier's operation during the launch of the payload into orbit will be simulated. After that, the rocket and space complex will be ready to launch cosmonauts into orbit,” Igor Barmin noted.

According to Igor Barmin, the day before the rocket's launch, the state of the refuelling system is closely monitored. One of the fuel components used to drive the turbine pumps units of the 1st and 2nd stages of propulsion systems, hydrogen peroxide, may not be compatible with other components in the carrier tank, so specialists ‘make provision for a rainy day beforehand’ and strictly check everything in advance.

“After that, all work with the rocket is finished. On the final launch day, the crew is boarding the spacecraft cabin, and the rocket is refuelled with propellant components. After the crew lands, the cryogenic components are recharged. At the end of the entire training cycle, people will witness the launch of cosmonauts into orbit,” Igor Barmin concluded.