Roscosmos is preparing for the launch of the Progress MS-35 cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. The mission is scheduled for September 16, 2026, at 13:33 UTC from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A Soyuz 2.1b rocket will carry the vehicle, which is expected to dock at the Poisk zenith port on September 18 at 18:37 UTC.
The Soyuz 2.1b is a three-stage, medium-lift rocket standing 46.3 meters tall with a liftoff thrust of 4,550 kilonewtons. It can deliver 8,670 kilograms to low-Earth orbit. This launch marks the sixth flight of the vehicle in 2026 and the 105th overall. The mission was previously delayed from September 9 due to technical issues with the third stage.
Progress MS-35 will transport 2,600 kilograms of cargo, including food, science supplies, maintenance equipment, fuel, water, and gases. The spacecraft has a total launch mass of 7,280 kilograms and features a 10.7-meter solar array. It will utilize the Kurs-NA automated docking system, with the manual TORU system available as a backup.
This mission represents the 188th flight of a Progress vehicle since the program began in 1978. The previous spacecraft, Progress MS-33, departed the station on September 7 after a six-month mission. Meanwhile, the NASA/SpaceX Crew-13 mission remains delayed following the discovery of an oxidizer leak during pre-launch checks.
