Yesterday, July 13, a cargo transportation spacecraft of the new series Progress MS-03 developed and built by RSC Energia was transported as a part of the upper composite to the site where it will be integrated with the launch vehicle Soyuz-U.

The transportation was done by rail. A series of assembly and integration operations will be performed in the launch vehicle processing facility within the framework of preparations for a launch under the International Space Station (ISS) Program.

The launch of the new-series cargo spacecraft Progress MS-03 under the International Space Station (ISS) program is scheduled for 00:42 Moscow Time on July 17, 2016 from Area 31 of the Baikonur launch site. This will be the third launch of a cargo spacecraft belonging to the new series “MS”.

The spacecraft will deliver to the station propellant components, compressed gases, water, scientific equipment and consumable for the life support system, as well as containers with food, clothing, medical supplies and personal hygiene items for the members of the crew.

The new-series spacecraft Progress MS and Soyuz MS were developed as a result of a radical upgrade of Progress M and Soyuz TMA spacecraft. The onboard command radio system Kvant-B was replaced with an integrated command and telemetry system with an additional telemetry channel. The new command radio link will make it possible to receive signals via relay satellites Luch-5, which will significantly increase the radio coverage zone for the spacecraft – up to 70% of an orbit. The spacecraft are equipped with an advanced onboard radio system for rendezvous and docking Kurs-NA. As compared with an earlier model, Kurs-A, it has improved mass and dimensions parameters and makes it possible to delete from the spacecraft hardware configuration one of the three radio antennas. Instead of the analog TV system Klyost, the spacecraft use a digital TV system, which makes it possible to maintain communications between the spacecraft and the station via a space-to-space RF link. Also included into the onboard equipment of the Soyuz MS and Progress MS series spacecraft to replace the equipment that is being phased out of production is a new Digital Backup Loop Control Unit developed by RSC Energia, an upgraded Rate Sensor Unit BDUS-3A and a LED headlight SFOK. Thanks to the use of new ground and onboard radio systems, it became possible to use state-of-the-art data transmission protocols, which resulted in improved operational stability of spacecraft control system.