Russia's "Hubble successor" was delayed for 2 more years (until 2031), according to developer's comments quoted by TASS. Spektr-UF was intended to replace the Astron ultraviolet observatory, launched in 1983, but it stuck on the ground for decades... CONTEXT: www.russianspaceweb.com/spektr_uf.html

Prime contractor at the Angara launch site in Vostochny spaceport goes through bankruptcy in the final phase of construction. CONTEXT: www.russianspaceweb.com/vostochny_an...

50 YEARS AGO TODAY: The final Soviet military space station lifts off. Operating in obscurity from the general public, the Salyut-5 produced a scandal in the Soviet industry, which led to the premature termination of the Almaz project. DETAILS: russianspaceweb.com/almaz_ops3.h...

Russian Academy of Sciences made a formal decision to extend work of the Spektr-RG observatory (stationed in an Earth-Sun Lagrange point) for 5 more years. It is the only major scientific spacecraft operated by Russia, following its launch in 2019. DETAILS: www.russianspaceweb.com/spektr_rg.ht...

Progress MS-34 cargo ship (docked at the air-leaking PrK compartment) conducts its first ISS orbit correction. DETAILS: www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-...

Visualization for the altitude over time for the first 16-satellite cluster of the "Russian Starlink", including one reentered object:

First "Russian Starlink" (launched in March) likely fell back to Earth today due to lack of maneuvers to counteract atmospheric drag, while unconfirmed rumors circulate about next launch into the constellation on June 18. CONTEXT: russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft-2...

Chief designer at Russia's prime piloted spacecraft developer made a few interesting remarks at a conference last week. For one, the return of future crew missions to ISS orbit prompted another look at sea-gliding rescue vehicles based on Soviet-era "sea monster": russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...

Via @spaceflightnow.com, Here's the view they had; the explosion happens at about 20:59:58 on their clock. The stream is still on as of this writing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=thfY...

Russia's Gazprom is selling its satellite production & mission control center. The move is portrayed as getting rid of non-core assets even though 2 years ago, Gazprom promised observation and communications satellite families, whose fate is now unclear. More: www.russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...

Cosmonauts aboard the ISS to conduct VKD-66 spacewalk today. Will chronicle it here: www.russianspaceweb.com/iss-vkd66.html

Our exclusive longread on the design, operation and evolution of the parachute system of the new-generation spacecraft (subscription): www.russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...

Launch of SpaceX #SuperHeavy rocket with #Starship on its 12th (almost) orbital test flight & water landing imminent. Watch live! #IFT12

A group of classified Russian satellites, launched on April 17, perform propellant-hungry inclination-change maneuvers, which put them in proximity of a commercial bird known to provide all-weather, day-and-night imagery to Ukraine. Context: www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft-m...

Soyuz-5 rocket is promised to fly again in the second half of 2027 and in 2028, according to Deputy Director General at Roskosmos quoted by TASS. There are no details on the configuration of the vehicle or its potential payload, so my visual below is an assumption: russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5-lv.html

#40YearsAgoToday 🚀 The USSR introduces the Soyuz TM crew vehicle variant, coinciding with the start of Mir assembly. FULL STORY: www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz-tm1.html

ESA releases video of the ExoMars lander prototype undergoing drop tests in Turin, Italy, under extreme touchdown conditions. Context: www.russianspaceweb.com/exomars-rove...

The 307th mission in the ISS project is underway: russianspaceweb.com/iss_chronolo...

Added exclusive details on the Soyuz technical history to several recent missions, including on the MS-14 sensor issue that triggered fleet-wide upgrades ( subscription). Updates: russianspaceweb.com/site_update....

A long-predicted test launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile took place today and reported to be successful: Context: russianspaceweb.com/sarmat.html

A unique "matreshka" architecture of the L3M lunar expeditionary vehicle is visualized for the first time, half a century after it was developed at the sunset of the Moon Race in 1972. CONTEXT: www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft_m...

Andrei Kalinvosky (quoted multiple times on the linked page) who was the Director General at Angara's prime developer, was sentenced to 7 years in absentia for fraud. DETAILS: www.russianspaceweb.com/angara-produ...

Moscow-based small satellite developer proposes the "world's first distributed solar observatory" comprised of cubesats spread from Earth's orbit to Lagrange points.

All but one "Russian Starlinks" launched in March showed signs of maneuvers, presumably on their way to operational orbits. Context: www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft-2...

Kazakh media report that countdown to the Soyuz-5 launch involved a relocation of a falcon nest with 4 eggs from a flame duct under the pad as a group of birds watched from above. Falcon is "sunkar" in Kazakh, also happens to be a Kazakh name for Soyuz-5: www.russianspaceweb.com/sunkar.html

A contractor involved in establishing Angara production line in the city of Omsk is arrested for stealing more than $7 million in three years. DETAILS, CONTEXT: www.russianspaceweb.com/angara-produ...

A mysterious cluster of Russian satellites is reported barging in on amateur radio for unknown reason. DETAILS: www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft-m...

It looks like for the first time, a three-side race broke out between secret Russian, Chinese and US "inspector" satellites 36,000 kilometers from Earth, marking an unprecedented surge of military activities in space. DETAILS, CONTEXT: www.russianspaceweb.com/angara5-flig...

Last month, Roskosmos completed processing stand for the crew capsule of the PTK (Orel) new-generation spacecraft, which the ship's 2nd worksite in Vostochny spaceport. Similar installations are planned for PTK's other components. CONTEXT: russianspaceweb.com/vostochny-tp...

Ekspress-AMU4, Russia's first civilian geostationary communications satellite to be developed in isolation from the West, completed acoustic tests, but its launch just slipped from 2026 to 2028 due to components' delays: russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...

Soyuz upper stage (2026-093B) from the launch of the Progress MS-34 supply ship to the ISS two days earlier

Director General of Roskosmos' Krasmash plant, the manufacturer of the Sarmat ICBM and Block DM space tug, arrested in corruption probe. DETAILS: russianspaceweb.com/sarmat.html#...

I got distracted by Soyuz-5 celebrations, but the flight report on the Progress MS-35 arrival to the ISS is now completed, PLUS exclusive bonus content on the interfaces of cargo ships for our subscribers: russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-...

The first video showing all key processing operations during the Soyuz-5 launch campaign in Baikonur: vkvideo.ru/video-232779...

The US Space Force identifies six satellites after a secretive Russian launch on April 17. Two objects are determined to be debris, possibly resulting from an anomaly. DETAILS, CONTEXT: russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft-m...

...and here is my depiction of the Soyuz-5/Fregat-SB/SBU variant (with a few other details added). CONTEXT: www.russianspaceweb.com/fregat.html#...

A few more pics of the first Soyuz-5 processing inside the vehicle assembly building, showing reloading of the rocket from its work site to its transporter/erector, ahead of the rollout to the launch pad: www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5-fligh...

Next test flight of the Soyuz-5 rocket (if it ever happens) might be carrying a Fregat upper stage, so I did a quick sketch of this configuration (payload is provisional, many details to be added): www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5-lv.html

Russian secret satellites resume proximity operations in orbit. Context: russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft-m...

The first Soyuz-5 rocket, designed to replace Zenit, reported lifting off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on its inaugural test mission. FLIGHT DETAILS, UPDATES: russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5-fligh...

TASS now confirms that the installation of the Teragerts experiment is planned during a spacewalk aboard the International Space Station on May 27. The Sun-watching telescope was delivered to the outpost with Progress MS-33: www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-...

HINTS & RUMORS: The Soyuz-5 launch window is now open for today but the personnel in Baikonur apparently still working through issues...

Those who losing patience with the Soyuz-5 might be interested to re-read our coverage 20 years ago of the notorious Soyuz-2/MetOp inaugural mission from Baikonur, which involved... five failed launch attempts: www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz2_metop...

Looks like the world’s 100th orbital launch of 2026 is taken by Falcon Heavy: www.russianspaceweb.com/2026.html

Key dates in Soyuz-5 saga: Nov. 11: Delivery to Baikonur December: Launch delayed to March March 17: NOTAMs issued for March 27–April 3 March 31: Soyuz-5 rolls out to pad April 16: Launch is reset for April 26-30 April 29: Scrub! FULL STORY: www.russianspaceweb.com

Reports of an at least 24-hour delay of the Soyuz-5 launch today:

According to utterly unofficial rumors, there were plans to launch Soyuz-5 today, but the inaugural flight had to be postponed again due to technical issues... Context: www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5-lv.html

Soyuz-2-1a lifts off from Baikonur with Progress MS-34 cargo ship on a resupply mission to the ISS Updates: www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-...

It appears that another launch attempt is planned for the troubled Sarmat ICBM from Dombarovsky/Yasny deployment area: russianspaceweb.com/sarmat.html#...

Progress MS-34 to lift off DETAILS, UPDATES: www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-...