Photo: Space Center "Yuzhny"/TsENKI (Centeer fo operation of ground based infrastructure)/Roskosmos
Serial rocket engines RD-107A/RD-108A, produced by the Samara enterprise "Kuznetsov" of the United Engine Corporation, part of the Rostec State Corporation , have worked successfully during the launch of a space rocket "Soyuz-FG" with a manned transport spacecraft "Soyuz MS-13" and the crew of a long-duration expedition to the International space station (ISS). The crew of 60-th/61-st long-term expedition including Roskosmos astronaut Alexander Skvortsov (the commander), astronauts Luka Parmitano (on-board engineer-1) and Andrew Morgan (on-board engineer-2) went to ISS.
The manned launch took place on July 20 at 19:28 Moscow time from the site No. 1 ("Gagarin launch site") of the Baikonur space launch complex. The main engines of the first and second stages RD-107A/RD-108A, produced in PJSC "Kuznetsov", worked faultlessly.
At 19:37 Moscow time the "Soyuz MS-13" spacecraft had separated successfully from the third stage of the launch vehicle on the target orbit, and at 01:48 Moscow time on July 21 docked in the normal mode to the docking node of the "Zvezda" service module of the International space station Russian segment.
The program of the another long-term expedition of the ISS includes scientific and applied research and experiments, routine maintenance work related to the maintenance of the station, and equipping ISS with additional equipment delivered by cargo spacecraft.
Propulsion systems RD-107A/RD-108A power I-st and II-nd stages of all "Soyuz" type launch vehicles, the coefficient of statistical reliability is 99.99%. Work to increase the reliability and improve the engines is continuously carried out by its developers (JSC "NPO Energomash named after academician V. P. Glushko") and specialists of "Kuznetsov" enterprise engaged in the mass production of these products.
