The final countdown before its maiden flight later this year has begun for Soyuz with a simulated launch campaign at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. This dry run ensures that the Soyuz and the new facilities work together perfectly, while allowing the teams to train under realistic launch conditions. It also validates all the procedures during the final phase before launch, except the fuelling of the vehicle. Last Friday, one of the two Soyuz launchers already at the Spaceport was rolled out of the preparation building horizontally using the 600 m-long railway leading to the launch platform. Read More