Prichal

Meet Nodal module Prichal also known as Uzlovoy Module or UM, Russia’s long-planned docking node for the International Space Station (ISS).

Early planning of the Prichal node had it part of The Orbital Piloted Assembly and Experiment Complex (OPSEK), which was a proposed Russian space station, intended to support deep space human exploration missions to Mars, possibly the Moon, and Saturn.

In September 2017, Roscosmos stated that there "no plans to separate the Russian segment from the ISS". This ended public OPSEK plans but kept Prichal alive to serve the ISS.

The Prichal node will be attached to the Nauka module, providing five extra docking ports to the Russian Segment and giving a potentially unlimited life span to the future outpost.

One port is active to allow docking with the space station, while the remaining five ports are passive, enabling other spacecraft to dock with the module.

Prichal is scheduled to be launched on November 2021, on the Progress M-UM spacecraft; a modified Progress spacecraft which will be used to deliver it to the space station

Prichal will use a Progress M-UM, a specially modified Progress MS spacecraft launched by Roscosmos specifically to deliver the Prichal module to the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) of the International Space Station.

Photo credit: Roscosmos

Meet part of Roscosmos’s 21st-century version of the Soyuz rocket. 

One of the main upgrades included in the Soyuz 2.1b is a completely digital flight control system -- not a small task when the Soyuz rocket was first designed in the 1960s.

This digital Flight Control System allows for greater precision and launch target accuracy.

The Soyuz 2.1b also sports an uprated Blok-I second-stage engine, the RD-0124, which provides increased performance.

It was the second of three Soyuz 2 variants to fly, taking its first launch on December 27th, 2006.

The Soyuz 2.1b variant flies under two different national flags and has two different names for the same configuration.

When launching from Baikonur or Plesetsk, the rocket flies as part of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos. For these missions, it is known as the Soyuz 2.1b.

When sold to Arianespace, the European Space Agency's launch management company, the rocket sports a few European modifications, like a European payload adapter and a European flight termination system.

When it flies for Europe, the rocket is known as the Soyuz ST-B.

Site 31/6 – Baikonur Cosmodrome

Site 31/6 has been an active launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome since January 14, 1961. Over its long history, it has supported launches of numerous Soviet and Russian rockets, including the R-7A, Vostok, Voskhod, Polyot, Molniya, and earlier versions of the Soyuz family. Originally constructed as a backup to Site 1/5 (Gagarin's Start), it has become a crucial launch facility, especially for uncrewed satellite and robotic missions.

Currently, Site 31/6 is used exclusively for launching the Soyuz-2 rocket family, including Soyuz-2.1a, Soyuz-2.1b, and Soyuz-2.1v. As Russia transitioned from the Soyuz-FG rocket to the digital flight-controlled Soyuz-2.1a, the pad began supporting crewed Soyuz MS missions to the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2020, ensuring continued access to orbit for Russian and international astronauts.

Baikonur Cosmodrome

Located in southern Kazakhstan, Baikonur Cosmodrome is the world’s first and largest operational spaceport. It is historically significant as the launch site of Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite, in 1957, and Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering human spaceflight on April 12, 1961.

Initially constructed as the primary launch base of the Soviet Union, Baikonur remained a key spaceflight center after the USSR’s dissolution. In 1994, the newly independent Kazakhstan leased Baikonur to Russia under a long-term agreement, currently extended until 2050. The site continues to host a wide range of missions, from crewed spaceflights to interplanetary probes.

Baikonur is jointly operated by Roscosmos, the Russian federal space agency, and the Russian Aerospace Forces, the military branch responsible for space operations. While Russia is shifting some launches to its newer Vostochny Cosmodrome, Baikonur remains the primary launch site for Soyuz human spaceflight missions and numerous commercial and government payloads.

Image courtesy of GK Launch Services / Roscosmos