MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2020) Experts failed to fix technical problems of the third stage of the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket, and the launch of a Meridian-M military communications satellite from the Plesetsk space center was rescheduled for February 20, a source from the space center told Sputnik.
Last Friday, a Russian space industry source said that the launch of Meridian-M had been postponed indefinitely from January 24 due to problems with the third stage of the rocket, which required the return of Soyuz-2 to the assembly and testing facility.
"Experts at Plesetsk failed to reveal causes of the technical problem in the cable system of the Soyuz-2 rocket, that is why we decided to deliver a new third stage to the space center," the source said.
According to the source, the launch is now scheduled for February 20, while the launch of a Glonass-M satellite - initially scheduled for February 28 - will take place on around March 15.
Meridian satellites are designed for enabling communication between sea vessels and ice reconnaissance aircraft, and coastal and ground stations in the area of the Northern Sea Route. The satellites are also capable of expanding the capacities of the satellite communications network in Russia's Siberia and the Far East in the interests of the country's economic development.
