Russia has dispatched a solar-sail spacecraft and a space parachute to waters off its northern coast to be launched from a submarine in the Barents Sea.
The unmanned spacecraft with eight triangular sail blades, each 16.5 yards long, and a new inflatable deceleration device, have been dispatched to the main administrative base of Russia's Northern Fleet, Severomorsk, the Lavochkin production and science association said.
The spacecraft, called Cosmos 1, is to be launched on June 21. The launch had been planned for March but was postponed, because the preparatory work had not been completed in time.
Scientists will study the possibility of using a solar sail as a propulsion system and as a way to control the spacecraft during its orbital flight. The spacecraft is being built under contract to the U.S. Planetary Society.
The launch of the deceleration device, called Demonstrator-2R, which had been planned for December, also was postponed because engineers determined additional tests would be necessary to increase its reliability. The launch is now scheduled for July 5-8.
Other participants in the testing of the device are the European Space Agency and the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company.
