Russia's Fixed Proton-M Carrier Sent To Baikonur Spaceport Ahead Of Launch - Space Center

The Proton-M carrier rocket, which had its launch with Express-80 and Express-103 telecommunications satellites postponed over technical drawbacks, has been sent to the Baikonur spaceport after repairs, the press service of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, a part of the Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos, said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th June, 2020) The Proton-M carrier rocket, which had its launch with Express-80 and Express-103 telecommunications satellites postponed over technical drawbacks, has been sent to the Baikonur spaceport after repairs, the press service of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, a part of the Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos, said on Friday.

Roscosmos discovered faulty components, produced from 2015-2016, in three Proton-M carrier rockets in March. On May 30, Roscosmos' press service said that the technical problems in the Proton rocket were fixed.

A space industry source told Sputnik that the launch was planned for July 30.

"On June 4, the Proton-M rocket's units and the Briz-M upper stage were sent to the Baikonur launchpad from the Khrunichev Center's plant... All procedures related to the departure of the train [carrying the rocket] were held in a regular manner," the center said in a statement obtained by Sputnik.

The Express-80 and Express-103 satellites were to be launched last year, but the launch has been postponed several times.