MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/. The Proton-M launch vehicle, which, together with the DM-03 upper stage, will bring Spektr-RG space observatory into orbit, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Roscosmos website held a broadcast.
The engine of the Blok DM-03 upper stage, which is due to carry the Spektr-RG satellite to its deployment orbit, has started as it was planned, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said on its Twitter page.
"The main engine of Blok DM-03 upper stage was first fired in a scheduled mode," the statement said.
Before the satellite separates from the booster, the main engine will start once more in one hour 37 minutes after liftoff.
The launch was initially planned for June 21, but on the day it was postponed to July 12. Deputy Director General for Space Complexes and Systems at Roscosmos Mikhail Khaylov explained this decision by problems that arose when checking a one-time chemical current source that make up the device.
A source in the rocket and space industry told TASS earlier that the launch of Spektr-RG space observatory on the Proton-M carrier rocket, which has been repeatedly postponed, will be held on July 13, the decision was made on Saturday morning by the State Commission.
According to Roscosmos stamen on the official website, the State Commission, which met on July 13, 2019, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, decided to prepare the Proton-M space rocket as part of the upper stage DM-03 and the Spektr-RG observatory to refuel components and a launch, scheduled for 15:30:57 Moscow time, July 13.
On Thursday, Roscosmos told TASS about additional test work in preparation for the launch of Proton-M launch vehicle with Spektr-RG space observatory. Later, the press service clarified that the work was carried out due to remarks for the launch vehicle.