The Soyuz MS-28 manned transport spacecraft has been placed in a vacuum chamber for leak testing. It is being prepared for launch to the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for November 27, 2025, Roscosmos press service reported.
Inside the chamber, a pressure level similar to that in space is created. With its help, specialists check the tightness of all three compartments, the thermal control system, fuel tanks, and other critical equipment. The tests will last about a week.
Before the launch, Soyuz MS-28 will undergo:
- control "illumination" of solar panels (checking the process of charging batteries from solar panels)
- oxidizer and fuel filling
- docking with the head fairing (protects the spacecraft in the dense layers of the atmosphere during its launch into orbit)
- rolling of the head fairing (application of a special coating)
- check with the participation of the crew (performing training actions inside the ship)
- assembly and transport to the launch site
A train with the Russian Soyuz-2.1a medium-class launch vehicle has already arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It delivered parts of the rocket and assembly and protection blocks for the ship.
About the Soyuz MS-28 Spacecraft
Soyuz MS-28 belongs to the series of multi-seat manned spacecraft of the Soyuz family, developed by RSC Energia. They deliver a crew of 3 people to low Earth orbit. The ship consists of 3 compartments: instrument and aggregate compartment, living compartment, and descent vehicle.
Characteristics of the Soyuz family of spacecraft:
- Autonomy — 3 days,
- Autonomy as part of an orbital station — up to 200 days
- Overall diameter — 2.72 m
- Length — 7.9 m
- Weight — 7220 kg
