Russia Successfully Launches Space Telescope

In this frame grab taken from video on Saturday, July 13, 2019, and distributed by Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service, a Russian Proton-M rocket takes off from the launch pad at Russia’s space facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo: Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service photo via AP

Russia’s Roscosmos successfully launched a Proton-M carrier rocket on July 13, carrying the Spektr-RG space telescope. The rocket lifted off from launch pad N81 at Baikonur cosmodrome at 3:30 p.m., Moscow time. This was the second launch of its type in 2019.

According to the launch sequence, at 5:30 p.m. Moscow time the spacecraft separated from DM-03 booster designed by the Energia company, and Spektr-RG commenced its 100-day flight towards the L2 libration point of the Sun – Earth system, where it will be exploring the universe in X-ray spectrum of electromagnetic emission.

According to a report from the Russian News Agency (TASS), the launch was originally schedule for June 21 but delayed until July 13, due to “problems that arose when checking a one-time chemical current source that [made] up the device.”