Russia’s Soyuz-2.1b Rocket Carries Heavier Payloads Toward ISS
/ Go to the mediabankSoyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Resurs-P No. 5 high-resolution Earth remote sensing satellite on the launch pad of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. File photo.
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The Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle will allow Russia to deliver larger cargo payloads to the International Space Station (ISS) and could later support missions to the planned Russian Orbital Station, space historian Alexander Zheleznyakov told Sputnik.The rocket launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome carrying the Progress MS-35 cargo spacecraft to the ISS. Unlike the lighter Soyuz-2.1a version usually used for crewed and cargo missions, the Soyuz-2.1b provides additional payload capacity.The current mission is partly a test flight, with an extended three-day approach to the ISS instead of the standard two-day route to allow additional checks of spacecraft systems and flight procedures. According to Zheleznyakov, the increased payload capability makes the Soyuz-2.1b suitable for transporting more supplies and could later support crewed launches.The rocket version has already been used in Russia’s space program, including the 2021 launch of Progress M-UM, which carried the Prichal docking module to the ISS.
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