Volga-Dnepr delivers space programme gear to Russia's cosmodrome

VOLGA-DNEPR Airlines has announced it is helping the Russian space programme by delivering a Meteor-M satellite to its launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the remote steppes of Kazakhstan.

The satellite, together with its launch equipment, weighed 50 tonnes and required meticulous loading at night to allow the Russian aircraft to meet its delivery deadline, according to Russian Transport Daily Report.

The cargo was shipped onboard a 124-100 freighter from Ramenskoye Airport to Yubileiny Airport, Kazakhstan. Having been packed in a special container, Meteor-M was loaded through the freighter's aft cargo door. Specialists were able to monitor temperature, pressure, humidity and load throughout the journey using sensors.

Meteor-M is a component of the Meteor-3M space exploration project, said the report. It is one of a series of satellites collecting hydrometeorological and heliogeophysical data to be launched mid-September and expected to orbit the earth for five years.

(Source: www.schednet.com)