At Baikonur, specialists from RKK "Energia" (part of Roscosmos) tested the solar panels of the "Progress MS-35" cargo spacecraft. This was reported by the state corporation. For control illumination, the photocells were irradiated with powerful lamps for about ten minutes – there are about a hundred of them on the stand. Thanks to the light, the sections generated electricity, powering the cargo spacecraft's systems.
This method allows controlling the efficiency of converting light energy into electrical energy even before launch. In orbit, the batteries will provide additional energy to the instruments during the flight to the ISS, which usually takes about two days. As it moves, the position of "Progress" relative to the Sun changes, so the spacecraft smoothly rotates around its axis at a speed of just over two degrees per second, exposing the panels to the rays.
Previously, the spacecraft underwent de-preservation, onboard system checks, and leak tests. Currently, the preparation of cargo and equipment to be delivered to the International Space Station continues in parallel. Confirmation of the solar panels' operability was another step towards launch.
Standard pre-launch procedure
Control illumination of solar panels is a standard stage of pre-flight preparation for Russian spacecraft at Baikonur. "Progress MS-28" underwent this procedure in July 2024, "Progress MS-29" – in November of the same year, and "Progress MS-33" – in February 2026. The scheme is unchanged: on a special stand with about a hundred powerful lamps, photocell sections are irradiated for several minutes, recording the coefficient of conversion of light energy into electrical energy. Piloted spacecraft undergo a similar procedure – in August 2024, "Soyuz MS-26" was tested in the same way. The illumination of the "Progress MS-35" batteries followed the same scheme.
Read more on the topic:
- Progress MS-35 Cargo Ship Delivered to Baikonur Cosmodrome
- "Progress MS-35" to undergo space vacuum testing before dispatch to ISS
- "Progress MS-35" driven into vacuum: space freighter passed crucial test at Baikonur