Today at the Baikonur cosmodrome, the “Soyuz-2.1a” launch vehicle equipped

with serial engines manufactured by «PJSC UEC-Kuznetsov» ( a part of the United

Engine Corporation of Rostec State Corporation) RD-107A / RD-108A was

successfully launched. The main crew of the “Soyuz MS-16” manned spacecraft

included the test cosmonaut Roscosmos Ivan Wagner, who previously worked as a

design engineer at “UEC Klimov”.The launch of the spacecraft took place today at

11:05 (by Moscow time) from platform 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Marching engines of the first and second stages of RD-107A / RD-108A,

manufactured at PJSC "UEC-Kuznetsov", worked without any comments.

The RD-107A / RD-108A propulsion systems are equipped with I and II stages of

all Soyuz-type launch vehicles and are the most reliable in the world. Missile

launches with serial engines manufactured by PJSC “UEC Kuznetsov” are carried

out from four cosmodromes - Baikonur, Plesetsk, Vostochny, Kourou (French

Guiana).

Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Wagner are members of th

main crew of the ISS-63, as well as NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy.

Ivan Wagner began his career at “UEC-Klimov” as a design engineer. This is his

first flight into space . His crew colleagues have more experience: there are two

flights into space on the accounts of Anatoly Ivanishin and Chris Cassidy.