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-...

ISS Reshetnev, Russia's prime developer of military and communications satellites, says it showed Skif-D (pictured) and... "an experimental ~200-kg geostationary comsat" at an exhibition hall in Krasnoyarsk. If anybody there, please send me pics! Context: russianspaceweb.com/elektro-l5.h...

There are reports about the demolition of the service tower at the Soyuz launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana. It looks like this supposed video was badly squeezed horizontally. In 2024, the mothballed facility was re-assigned for the European Maia rocket: www.russianspaceweb.com/kourou_els.h...

Rollout visuals released after today's Angara-1.2 launch, showed the URM-2 booster (bottom left) and an adapter for the core version of the URM-1 (bottom right) all required for the assembly of the Angara-5 variant: www.russianspaceweb.com/angara5.html

40 YEARS AGO TODAY: www.russianspaceweb.com/progress26.h...

Angara-1.2 rocket lunches multiple classified satellites from Plesetsk. DETAILS, UPDATES: www.russianspaceweb.com/angara1-flig...

A Soyuz-2-1a rocket with the Progress MS-34 cargo ship reached the launch pad at Site 31 in Baikonur this morning, in preparation for a liftoff on the night from Saturday to Sunday and a two-day trip to the ISS: www.russianspaceweb.com/2026.html#pr...

Roskosmos is inching toward integrated tests of new landing systems for the Soyuz replacement which went through many design changes, as we detail and illustrate in a series of articles exclusively for our subscribers (Part I is on the site): www.russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...

A Soyuz launcher with the Progress MS-34 cargo ship was cleared for rollout to launch pad in preparation for liftoff from Baikonur on April 26 for the ISS resupply mission: russianspaceweb.com/2026.html#pr...

Progress MS-32 departed the ISS for a destructive plunge into the Earth's atmosphere. FULL HISTORY OF THE MISSION: russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-...

Progress MS-34 cargo ship went through final inspection and was rolled inside payload fairing, ahead of its integration with the Soyuz rocket on April 22, according to Roskosmos. Context: russianspaceweb.com/2026.html#pr...

Today's launch of the New Glenn launcher delivered a communications satellite into a wrong (not clear if recoverable) orbit, but the rocket's 1st stage completed spectacular landing on a vessel in the Atlantic: russianspaceweb.com/2026.html

Russian Ministry of Defense calls this morning's Soyuz launch a success. Updates: www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft-m...

Soyuz rocket launches multiple classified payloads from Plesetsk DEVELOPING STORY: www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft-m...

NASA confirms that Europe's ExoMars rover, previously scheduled for launch on a Proton rocket in 2022, was now re-assigned to a Falcon Heavy rocket NET late 2028, with US contributions replacing Russian hardware. CONTEXT: russianspaceweb.com/exomars-rove...

...And this is the "initial assembly complete" architecture for the ROS complex, which is probably the most we can expect from Roskosmos in the first half of the 2030s: CONTEXT: www.russianspaceweb.com/ros.html

Progress MS-32 conducts ISS orbit correction in preparation for Soyuz MS-28 landing and Soyuz MS-29 launch. DETAILS: www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-...

The inaugural launch of the new Soyuz-5 launch vehicle approaches the end of its available window without any official news, so I tried to untangle a morass of rumors and hints about the zig-zag path to flight for our subscribers: www.russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...

Roskosmos reports completion of propellant and pressurized gases loading aboard Progress MS-34 spacecraft in preparation for ISS resupply mission on April 26: www.russianspaceweb.com/2026.html#pr...

Nikolai Testoedov, frm. head of ISS Reshetnev, Russia's prime developer of military satellites, is under house arrest due to criminal probe at the company. He joins a long list of top Russian space executives who faced criminal charges in recent years: www.russianspaceweb.com/roskosmos.ht...

A few new photos of the 1M1 non-flying prototype of the N1 rocket had surfaced on the Internet, documenting the vehicle during experimental assembly and on-pad fit tests. CONTEXT: russianspaceweb.com/n1.html

Launch opportunities for the inaugural flight of the Soyuz-5 rocket are reported to be open until April 20, but more than a day after the first window, there is no official word on the status of the mission, as specialists reportedly work on closing multiple issues:

Russian officials began talking about "setting aside sovereign territories" on the Moon for Moscow. These seemingly far-fetched claims are linked to the Selena nuclear-power station project from Rosatom which we profile for our subscribers today: www.russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...

Moscow State University, MGU (my alma mater;) suddenly revived the idea of a mission to Apophis, but now in a cubesat form. No mention of the original project from decades ago, but RussianSpaceWeb.com uniquely preserves the context: russianspaceweb.com/apophis.html

The inaugural launch of the first Russian hydrogen-propelled upper stage for the Angara family is now not expected before 2031. CONTEXT! —> russianspaceweb.com/angara_kvtk....

Upgraded Angara-5M rocket is now promised to fly with a development prototype of the PTK crew vehicle during a 2027-2028 period (a delay from 2025). Context and full story: russianspaceweb.com/angara5m.htm...

65 YEARS AGO TODAY: The first human reaches Earth's orbit FULL STORY (and my reconstruction of the event): russianspaceweb.com/vostok1.html

The 2nd cargo-supply mission of 2026 departed for the International Space Station. This is the 305th flight to assemble and maintain the ISS since its start in 1998: www.russianspaceweb.com/iss_chronolo...

The latest scenario for the assembly of the post-ISS ROS complex from Roskosmos and its prime piloted spacecraft developer RKK Energia. Context: russianspaceweb.com/ros.html