Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia (a part of Roscosmos) has plans to involve the leading Russian scientific centers and universities into a project to launch small Cubesat satellites using cargo transportation spacecraft Progress MS.

The project calls for installation of special containers for insertion of small spacecraft into their target orbit on the outer surface of a cargo spacecraft. These might be commercial, educational or applied satellites with the size of up to 6U. Cargo spacecraft Progress MS are launched on a regular basis three times a year within the framework of logistics support for the International Space Station (ISS).

The work is done within the framework of the ISS Russian Segment commercialization effort. Foreign customers may also take part in the program on a commercial basis.

The altitude of the satellite injection orbit is 260-410 km, and its inclination is 51.6 deg. Furthermore, when the spacecraft is in free flight, the orbit can be raised up to 500 km.

A group of RSC Energia specialists, young employees of the company – members of the Committee for Innovation Projects of Young People (CIPYP), have already begun the development of the necessary launch infrastructure, which was discussed in November of 2016 during a session “Optimization of Work on Preparing Space Experiments in Launching Small Spacecraft” within the framework of development of the State Corporation Roscosmos production system.