Following extracts taken from articles on Russian MOD website, dated 30 November 2006. Translated by Old Crow and submitted to MT's Milcom Blog for information and interest.
Preparations continue for the launch of a Soyuz-2 rocket which will carry a device belonging to the Russian Ministry of Defence. The preparations are being carried out at the Plesetsk Space Centre in accordance with confirmed plans for a second series of flight tests. Yesterday, space centre teams completed the fuelling of the orbital vehicle "Fregat". It will be taken to the assembly-testing complex at square 43 where "Soyuz-2" and related equipment is undergoing tests. Preparatory tests for the launching of "Soyuz-2" and "Fregat" were carried out during November, in the course of which all operations concerned with pre-launch conditions were carried out.. except for the fuelling and "Commit to Launch" commanding. At the same time, the ground-based equipment at the launch site, the fuelling lines, the telemetry sensors and transmitters and the computer/mathematics support were all checked to be in working order. Today, at the technical site (square 141), teams from the space centre headed by Colonel Aleksandr Shevkunov, have begun work on a "Kosmos-3M" rocket. Their first day's work was to unload the rocket and to assemble the nose fairing. The launch of both rockets is planned for some time in December.