Anatoly Zak
@anatolyzak.bsky.social
1.5K followers 110 following 440 posts
RussianSpaceWeb.com
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anatolyzak.bsky.social
The 5th Starship/Superheavy test flight of 2025 is underway: russianspaceweb.com/2025.html
anatolyzak.bsky.social
...Heads continue to roll at Roskosmos with the Director General at ISS Reshetnev, prime developer of military and communications satellites, "voluntarily resigning": russianspaceweb.com/roskosmos.ht...
The Russian space agency, Roskosmos
The history of the Russian space agency, Roskosmos, by Anatoly Zak
russianspaceweb.com
anatolyzak.bsky.social
...Based on the 160-second burn and understanding that the first-stage boosters usually operate around two minutes in flight, this live firing appears to be normal. Roskosmos touts a "powerful" video tomorrow.
DETAILS, UPDATES: russianspaceweb.com/index.html
anatolyzak.bsky.social
...Roskosmos now confirms that it was indeed test firing of the Soyuz-5 first stage with the RD-171MV engine, which lasted 160 seconds.. It also confirms plans for launching Soyuz-5 at the end of 2025...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
Members of the Soyuz MS-27 crew to perform a spacewalk on the ISS exterior on Thursday: russianspaceweb.com/soyuz-ms-27....
anatolyzak.bsky.social
...Most recently, Roskosmos and Kazakh officials promised the first launch of the Soyuz-5 rocket before the end of 2025 and if this test is confirmed and deemed successful, it would be a major step toward that goal: russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5-lv-20...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
...some background on the Peresvet test site (officially known as NITs RKP): russianspaceweb.com/zagorsk.html
anatolyzak.bsky.social
There are eyewitness accounts of a major engine firing at the Peresvet test facility near Moscow, which I guess, could be a long-awaited qualification of the Soyuz-5 rocket's first stage with RD-171MV engine, marking a major milestone in its development: russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5-lv.html
anatolyzak.bsky.social
It sounds like going in circles, but the Soyuz spacecraft might be back in business of transporting crews to Russia's post-ISS space station:
DETAILS (subscription): russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
The Angara rocket family made 3 flights in 2025, more than in any year since the start of its flight testing in 2014, including the delivery of its first payload to the geostationary orbit. But, its future flight rate depends on cargo availability. DETAILS:
www.russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
Active campaign started in Baikonur for the Soyuz MS-28 crew vehicle launch to the ISS, scheduled for November 27.
Details: www.russianspaceweb.com/2025.html#so...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
...The Luch-5VM data-relay bird and Yamal-501 comsat for Moscow-based Gazprom are still promised to launch before the end of 2026, as well as the Ekspress-AMU4 for Kosmicheskaya Svyaz operator. (Of course you can add a few years to the promised dates): www.russianspaceweb.com/2026.html#ek...
Space exploration in 2025
Space exploration in 2025 by Anatoly Zak
www.russianspaceweb.com
anatolyzak.bsky.social
Russian industry claims progress with manufacturing communications satellites using domestic tech and without official foreign participation...
Overview: www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft_c...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
50 YEARS AGO TODAY:
The 2nd experimental version of the Soyuz spacecraft, later known as Soyuz T, secretly enters orbit. The mission was announced under the cover name Kosmos-772, but its details remain largely unknown until this day.
Details: www.russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
Russian start-up wants to use the world's oldest space rocket thruster to propel a new-generation micro-launcher. Test firing supporting the project was reported this month. Details on the site (subscription):
www.russianspaceweb.com/insider-cont...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
According to IMBP, out of 75 mice species aboard the Bion-M2 satellite, 10 did not make it to the end of the month-long mission, which is considered a "good" result for scientific purposes:
anatolyzak.bsky.social
This rare historic image, showing the operation of soft-landing solid motors in the parachute lines of the Voskhod spacecraft, likely explains today's grass fire at the landing site of the Bion-M2 satellite, which uses a similar system. Context:
russianspaceweb.com/voskhod-land...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
This rare historic image, showing the operation of soft-landing solid motors in the parachute lines of the Voskhod spacecraft, likely explains today's grass fire at the landing site of the Bion-M2 satellite, which uses a similar system. Context:
www.russianspaceweb.com/voskhod-land...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
As mentioned in the story, a relatively small brush fire, not preventing recovery operations... I think it happens sometimes with these types of landings in dry conditions from pyrotechnics action.
anatolyzak.bsky.social
...opening of the payload containers with samples that were exposed to the conditions of space fight:
anatolyzak.bsky.social
...a close-up view of the parachute container:
anatolyzak.bsky.social
More visuals from the Bion-M2 landing site: it looks like the Descent Module's pyrotechnics caused some brush fire...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
Descent Module of the Bion-M2 satellite landed successfully today in the Orenburg Region.
Updates: russianspaceweb.com/bion-m2.html...
anatolyzak.bsky.social
Roskosmos confirms planned return to Earth tomorrow of the Bion-M2 satellite with live organisms onboard after a nearly month-long scientific mission.
Details, updates: www.russianspaceweb.com/bion-m2.html...