"Vostochny" is gaining momentum: what launches are scheduled from the cosmodrome in 2025?
This year, employees of the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur region and the Ground Facilities Operation Center of Roscosmos delighted everyone following the successes of the Russian space program with four flawlessly executed launches. In anticipation of the new year, Komsomolskaya Pravda – Blagoveshchensk decided to remind us of the spacecraft that were launched into orbit from Vostochny in 2024 and what awaits us in 2025.
Results of the "Space" Year
The "space" year at Vostochny began on February 29, when the fourth Meteor-M satellite of the system was launched into orbit, along with 16 SITRO-AIS satellites, the Zorkiy-M satellite, and the Iranian Pars-1 satellite. The Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle lifted them into space, and the Fregat upper stage deployed them into their designated orbits.
The Meteor-M satellites belong to the second series of meteorological support spacecraft that are part of the Meteor-3M orbital group. They are designed to provide operational information for weather forecasting, monitoring the ozone layer and radiation conditions in near-Earth space, as well as observing the sea surface, including ice conditions on the Northern Sea Route.
The first launch of "Angara-A5" from the Vostochny cosmodrome. Photo: Natalia Berezhnaya/Roscosmos
The next launch of the year was historic. On April 11, the first heavy launch vehicle, Angara-A5, successfully lifted off from Vostochny. Together with the Orion upper stage (DM-UZ), it delivered a mass-dimensional model of the payload and the small satellite Gagarinets into orbit.
After a break, on November 5, the Ionosphere-M satellites No. 1 and No. 2 were launched into space using the Soyuz-2.1b rocket and the Fregat upper stage.
The Ionosphere-M satellites are part of the Ionosonde-2025 orbital group, which will consist of four Ionosphere satellites and one Zond-M satellite. They are intended for monitoring geophysical parameters of the upper atmosphere and near-Earth space, including studying the effects of solar wind and predicting magnetic storms.
As a secondary payload in this launch, an additional 53 small and microsatellites were delivered to orbit, including those created by university students and schoolchildren using CubeSat technology.
Finally, on the last day of autumn, November 30, the Soyuz-2.1a rocket launched with the radar satellite Kondor-FKA No. 2. It is designed for round-the-clock and all-weather monitoring of land and ocean surfaces. Notably, the first Kondor-FKA was also launched into orbit from Vostochny on May 27, 2023.
Components of the Soyuz rocket for the launch of the Aist-2T satellite. Photo: Roscosmos
On the Path to the Stars
The official list of upcoming launches from Vostochny has not yet been released by Roscosmos. However, based on available data, conclusions can be drawn about planned launches from the Amur cosmodrome next year.
A launch of the Aist-2T No. 1 and No. 2 satellites, Aist-ST, Marathon-D No. 2, and the student satellite Lobachevsky is tentatively scheduled for March 2025. The Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle for this launch has already arrived at Vostochny on November 12 of this year.
The Aists are Earth observation satellites developed by Samara State Aerospace University. Aist-2T will conduct optical observations of the planet's surface, while Aist-ST is a small radar satellite. Interestingly, a demonstration model of Aist-2T named Aist-2D was launched during the first launch from Vostochny in 2016.
Marathon-D is part of the Sphere system's orbital group and is intended for telecommunications tasks.
Lobachevsky is a small satellite designed for agroecological research within our country, developed by Lobachevsky Nizhny Novgorod University.
Additionally, in 2025, launches of the fifth satellite of the Meteor-M No. 2 family and Ionosphere-M No. 3 and No. 4 are planned from Vostochny.
Furthermore, as part of the flight test program from the cosmodrome, a second launch of the heavy launch vehicle Angara-A5 is planned. The exact dates for these launches have not yet been determined, and Roscosmos will announce them early next year.
KP REFERENCE:
Since 2016, a total of 18 successful launches have been conducted from Vostochny. Of these, 17 were modifications of the Soyuz-2.1 and one was Angara-A5. More than two hundred Russian and foreign satellites of various purposes have been launched into space.
New horizons await. Photo: Roscosmos
Also Read:
New equipment has arrived: the Vostochny cosmodrome is being prepared for manned flights
Infrastructure is being prepared in the Amur region for manned space flights (read more)
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