The Soyuz-2.1a fairing with Progress MS-33 features the Space Week emblem

Today will be the first launch from Baikonur's Site No. 31 after reconstruction

The Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with the Progress MS-33 cargo ship will launch today at 15:00 Moscow time from Site No. 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. This was reported by Roscosmos. The official emblem of Space Week, timed to coincide with the 65th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight, is placed on the rocket's head fairing. The launch will be the first after the reconstruction of launch complex No. 31. 9 minutes after launch, the ship will separate from the third stage, and after 49.5 hours it will approach the station. Docking with the Poisk module is scheduled for March 24 at approximately 16:35 Moscow time.

Progress MS-33 Cargo: Equipment for Experiment and Fuel

The ship will deliver 2,509 kg of cargo to the ISS. This includes 1,211 kg of dry cargo for the ISS-74 crew and station systems, including equipment for the scientific experiment "Sun-Terahertz". There are also 828 kg of fuel for refueling the station, 420 liters of drinking water, and 50 kg of oxygen to replenish the atmosphere.

The Space Week emblem features the symbolic number 65, an orbit around the Earth, and Gagarin's "Let's go!". Sending the emblem with Progress MS-33 will be the official start of a large-scale program. Space Week itself will take place from April 6 to 12, 2026, the event was established by presidential decree of December 29, 2025 and is being held for the first time in the history of Russia.

Mission Characteristics of Progress MS-33

  • Launch vehicle: Soyuz-2.1a
  • Cosmodrome: Baikonur, Site No. 31
  • Launch time: 15:00 Moscow time, March 22, 2026
  • Ship separation: 9 minutes after launch
  • Approach to the ISS: after 49.5 hours
  • Docking with the Poisk module: March 24, around 16:35 Moscow time
  • Total cargo mass: 2,509 kg
  • Dry cargo: 1,211 kg, including equipment for the Sun-Terahertz experiment
  • Fuel: 828 kg
  • Water: 420 l
  • Oxygen: 50 kg
  • Feature: first launch from Site No. 31 after reconstruction

Baikonur's Site No. 31 is the main launch complex for manned and cargo missions of the Russian space program. Reconstruction took it out of operation for several months, and the current launch confirms the complex's readiness for normal operation.

Earlier, www1.ru reported that for the first time in the history of the Russian space program, a gastronomic project will become part of a space mission.

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