Baikonur preps Proton-M rocket for historic return to flight
The 2026 launch program at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan is officially underway, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The year’s inaugural flight is scheduled for February 12, featuring the heavy-lift Proton-M launch vehicle.
On February 9, the Proton-M launch vehicle, integrated with the Elektro-L No. 5 satellite, was rolled out from the Assembly and Testing Building and erected on the launch pad at Site 95 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Today, Roscosmos specialists have commenced the Day Two pre-launch operations.
Statistically, this will be the 430th launch of a Proton heavy-lift rocket. More importantly, a Proton rocket is to take flight for the first time in three years. Its last successful mission was in 2023.
Equipped with a Block DM upper stage, the Proton-M rocket is to deliver the Elektro-L No. 5 meteorological satellite into orbit. The satellite is designed for weather observation and environmental monitoring.
According to the Roscosmos press service, this mission marks the final use of the DM upper stage. Technical issues within this specific booster block led to the cancellation of the Proton-M launch with the Elektro-L No. 5 satellite in December 2025. The launch was rescheduled to February 2026.