The Loutch system provided communication at the launch of the K.E. Tsiolkovsky manned spacecraft

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     The Gonets Satellite System JSC (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) has successfully completed the tasks during the launch of the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Soyuz MS-22 manned transport vehicle (TPC).
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     On September 21, 2022, at 16:54 Moscow time, a successful launch of the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Soyuz MS-22 transport manned spacecraft (K.E.Tsiolkovsky) and the crew of the 68th long-term expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) took place from the Baikonur cosmodrome. At 20:06 Moscow time the ship docked to the small research module "Rassvet" of the Russian segment of the ISS (RS ISS).
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     During the launch of the launch vehicle, the relay channels of the Multifunctional Space Relay System (MSRS) "Loutch" were used, the operator of which is JSC "Gonets Satellite System". After the Soyuz MS-22 manned spacecraft left the radio visibility zone of ground facilities, the Luch relay system transmitted telemetry information from the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft to the Flight Control Center (FCC) of the ISS RS, as well as issuing control commands to the ship.
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     Currently, the Loutch system provides the complex task of providing the crew of the RS  ISS with a broadband information transmission channel with the possibility of voice and video communication, as well as data transmission in accordance with the established work program. All 3 spacecraft of the system are involved in the organization of the broadband channel: "Luch-5A", "Luch-5B", "Luch-5V", equipment installed on the ISS RS, and means of a ground-based relay support complex. In accordance with the established program, up to 25 retransmission sessions are conducted daily.
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     The Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft was named "K.E. Tsiolkovsky" in honor of the 165th anniversary of the birth of the founder of theoretical cosmonautics Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. The crew of the Soyuz MS-22 manned spacecraft includes cosmonauts of the Roscosmos State Corporation Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Francisco Rubio. The planned duration of the 68th expedition to the ISS will be 188 days.
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