Proton-M Carrier Rocket With Spektr-RG Observatory Delivered To Launch Site - Roscosmos

A Proton-M carrier rocket with the Russian-German Spektr-RG high-energy astrophysics observatory has been delivered to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, from which it will be launched, Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th June, 2019) A Proton-M carrier rocket with the Russian-German Spektr-RG high-energy astrophysics observatory has been delivered to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, from which it will be launched, Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos said on Friday.

Roscosmos said earlier in the week that the Spektr-RG launch was scheduled for June 21.

"The Proton-M carrier rocket with the DM-03 upper stage and the new Spektr-RG orbital observatory has been delivered from the operations and checkout facility 92A-50 to the launch site," Roscosmos said in statement.

The spacecraft, carrier rocket, upper stage and other equipment will undergo a trial next week, according to Roscosmos.

The Spektr-RG observatory is supposed to be placed at Lagrange point L2, an orbital location where the gravitational forces of the Sun and the Earth would balance out the centrifugal force of a smaller third body, such as a space observatory, and stabilize it. It is expected to stay at L2 for seven years.

Russia initially planned to launch the observatory in 2014 before the date was postponed repeatedly.�