MOSCOW. July 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Launches of the Soyuz manual craft with the Soyuz-2 rocket carrier could begin following three-year tests of the rocket with the Progress cargo spacecraft, Samara-based Progress Rocket and Space Center General Director Alexander Kirilin told Interfax-AVN.
"Head industry institutions are developing a program of test flights and the minimal number of launches necessary to confirm reliability before switching to manual craft launches. The proposals of Progress have been formed and given to the Central Engineering Research Institute TsNIIMash," Kirilin said.
"We suggest carrying out three test flights with cargo spacecraft and then switching to launching manual craft. Launches of the Soyuz manual craft with Soyuz-2.1a are expected to begin in late 2016 to early 2017," Kirilin said.
At the same time, according to a rocket and space industry source of Interfax-AVN, the Soyuz-U rocket carrier is currently used to launch the Progress cargo spacecraft and the Soyuz-FG rocket carrier to launch the Soyuz manual craft.
"The control system of the Soyuz-U and Soyuz-FG rockets is analogue one and is produced in Ukraine, so the program of switching the launches of the Progress and Soyuz spacecraft to the Soyuz-2 rocket carriers with the Russian digital control system is being implemented," the source said.
The Soyuz-2 rocket carrier was designed and is produced commercially at the Progress Rocket and Space Center. The first launch of the Soyuz-2 rocket took place on November 8, 2004. Up until now 34 launches of the Soyuz-2 rockets have been carried out.