Photo: "Yuzhny" Space Center / Roscosmos
The serial rocket engines RD-107A/RD-108A, produced by the Samara enterprise of the United Engine Corporation of Rostec, ensured the successful launch of the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Progress MS-21 cargo spacecraft. More than 2.5 tons of cargo will be delivered to the International Space Station.
The launch of the Soyuz-2.1a rocket with Progress MS-21 cargo spacecraft took place on October 26 at 03:19 Moscow time from launch pad №31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The RD-107A/RD-108A rocket engines, manufactured by UEC-Kuznetsov, installed on the first and second stages of the carrier, worked out normally. The cargo spacecraft will deliver more than 2.5 tons of cargo to the International Space Station, which is necessary to maintain the flight in manned mode and to implement the Russian program of scientific and applied research.
This is the 14th launch of Soyuz carrier rocket with UEC-Kuznetsov
engines of serial production this year. The modifications of RD-107A/RD-108A propulsion systems are used in stages I and II of all launch vehicles of the R-7 type, including the Soyuz-2 launch vehicles, starting from 1958. Currently, engines are mass-produced at JSC UEC-Kuznetsov with design support from the developer JSC NPO Energomash named after Academician V.P. Glushko. The statistical reliability of the products exceeds 99.9%.
