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Planned Russian space missions for 2026
For missions in 2025 click here February: A Proton-M rocket to launch the Elektro-L No. 5 weather satellite from Pad 24 at Site 81 in Baikonur. (Delayed from July 2024). On Sept. 10, 2025, Roskosmos reported the arrival to Baikonur of a train with components of a Proton vehicle for a federal mission, along with the Block-DM03 stage and a payload fairing manufactured at NPO Lavochkin. At the time, the launch was expected around Dec. 22, 2025, but the mission was later advanced to Dec. 15, 2025. Elektro-M5 was air-shipped from Moscow to Baikonur around Nov. 10, 2025. On Nov. 26, 2025, Roskosmos reported the completion of electric checks and the start of integrated tests on the Proton rocket for the mission that included checks of engines and the onboard cable network among other systems. On Dec. 11, 2025, the State Commission cleared the rocket for the rollout to the launch pad and the next morning, the vehicle left the assembly building at Site 92A-50 and traveled to the launch pad at Site 81. The liftoff was scheduled for Dec. 15, 2025, at 15:20:18 Moscow Time. However, on Dec. 13, 2025, final checks revealed a problem in the Block DM-03 upper stage which forced to postpone the launch, Roskosmos announced. According to the Zakryty Kosmos Telegram channel, a software issue will require the return of the rocket back to the processing building and the disassembly of the payload section. The potential need to ship the onboard avionics back to the manufacturer would likely push the mission well into 2026. The launch vehicle was removed from the launch pad and returned to the processing building on Dec. 14, 2025.
A container with the Elektro-L5 satellite is being loaded aboard a transport aircraft in Moscow for a trip to Baikonur in mid-November 2025. March: A Soyuz-5 rocket to fly its first test mission from Site 45 in Baikonur. In November 2025, the launch was postponed from Dec. 24, 2025, until around March 2026, due to delays with the ground equipment. March 22, 14:59 Moscow Time: A Soyuz-2-1a rocket to launch the Progress MS-33 cargo ship (ISS mission 94P) from Site 31 at Baikonur. The mission was initially planned in March 2026, but by 2024, it was advanced to Nov. 20, 2025. Before the end of 2024, the launch was delayed to Dec. 19, 2025. In early November 2025, the launch was postponed from Dec. 19 to Dec. 21, 2025. The spacecraft departed RKK Energia's ZEM plant in Podlipki for Baikonur at the end of September 2025 and arrived at Baikonur by October 7. The active preparations of the vehicle for launch started on November 10, with the testing of its radio system in the anechoic chamber of the spacecraft processing facility at Site 254. The spacecraft then underwent pneumatic and vacuum tests in the vacuum chamber, which started on November 15, 2025. On November 20, it was returned to its processing rig at Site 254. On Nov. 27, 2025, the launch of the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft resulted in the collapse of the mobile service platform below the launch pad at Site 31, forcing the postponement of the Progress MS-31 mission, then scheduled to lift off on Dec. 21, 2025, at 03:55 Moscow Time. Soon after the incident, the launch was expected as early as March 11, but by Dec. 19, 2025, it was scheduled for March 22, 2026. April 26, 01:21 Moscow Time: A Soyuz-2 rocket to launch Progress MS-34 (No. 464, ISS mission 95P) from Baikonur toward the International Space Station, ISS. The mission was initially planned for July 2026, but by 2025, it was advanced to Feb. 11, 2026. By October 2025, the launch slipped to March 25, 2026, at 13:48 Moscow Time. After the launch pad damage at Site 31 during the launch of Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft on Nov. 27, 2025, the mission was postponed until April 26, 2026, at 01:21 Moscow Time. First quarter: Russia to introduce the Start-1M launcher (INSIDER CONTENT) converted from the Topol-M ICBM. (As of 2024) June 17, 04:40 Moscow Time: A Soyuz-2 rocket to launch Progress MS-35 (No. 465) from Baikonur toward the International Space Station, ISS. The mission was initially planned for November 2026, but by 2025, it was advanced to April 28, 2026. By October 2025, the launch slipped to June 17, 2026. July 14, 17:43 Moscow Time: A Soyuz-2-1a rocket to launch Soyuz MS-29 crew vehicle from Baikonur carrying three members of Expedition 75 to the International Space Station, ISS. On Aug. 21, 2024, Roskosmos announced that Russian cosmonauts Petr Dubrov, Sergei Korsakov and Anna Kikina had been appointed to the Soyuz MS-29 crew. With the reduction of Soyuz launches to the ISS to 1.5 per year and respective extension of Russian ISS expeditions, the launch of Soyuz MS-29 was delayed from July 2026 to Aug. 27, 2026, but by the middle of 2025, the launch date was advanced to June 15. By October 2025, the launch slipped to July 14, 2026. The spacecraft for the mission (Production No. 759) was reported delivered to Baikonur on Nov. 7, 2025. September 9, 19:10 Moscow Time: A Soyuz-2 rocket to launch Progress MS-36 from Baikonur toward the International Space Station, ISS. The launch was originally expected on Aug. 17, 2026, but by October 2025, the mission slipped to Sept. 9, 2026. December 2, 10:03 Moscow Time: A Soyuz-2 rocket to launch Progress MS-37 from Baikonur toward the International Space Station, ISS. The launch was originally expected on Nov. 20, 2026, but by October 2025, the mission slipped to Dec. 2, 2026. December: Russia to launch the Ekspress-AMU4 communications satellite (INSIDER CONTENT) for a Russian federal operator. (As of 2022-2024) End of 2026: A Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat rocket to launch the first Ekspress-RV communications satellite (INSIDER CONTENT) from Plesetsk. (As of mid-2026) 2026: A Proton-M rocket to launch the Luch-5VM data-relay satellite and the Yamal-501 communications satellite (INSIDER CONTENT) from Baikonur. (As of 2024) 2026: A Soyuz-2/Fregat rocket to launch the first batch of 15 operational Buro 1440 Internet satellites (INSIDER CONTENT). (As of 2024) 2026: A Soyuz-2/Fregat rocket to launch the first pair of operational Skif Internet satellites (INSIDER CONTENT) into a 8,070-kilometer polar orbit from Vostochny. (As of 2023 and 2024) 2026: A Soyuz-2/Fregat rocket to launch the first pair of experimental Piksel-VR satellites (INSIDER CONTENT). (As of 2023 and 2024) 2026: The first launch of the Soyuz-5 rocket from the Baiterek facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. (As of 2024. As of 2023, the launch was promised on Dec. 24, 2025) 2026: A Soyuz-2-1b rocket to launch Resurs-PM No. 1 satellite (INSIDER CONTENT) from Baikonur. (In 2024, the launch was postponed from 2025 to 2026.) Delayed from December 2025: A Soyuz-2 rocket to launch first 16 satellites for the Buro 1440 Internet constellation (INSIDER CONTENT). (As of May 2025) Delayed from 2025: Russia to launch Smotr-V and -R remote sensing satellites for Gazprom-SPKA. (As of 2023) Delayed from 2025: Russia to launch the first satellite in the Berkut remote-sensing series (INSIDER CONTENT). (As of 2024)
For missions beyond 2026 click here
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