Russia has announced plans to launch its next-generation ultraviolet space observatory, the Spectr-UV space telescope on October 24, 2031, according to a senior official from the Lavochkin Association.
The telescope is intended to continue and expand the work of the Hubble Space Telescope by focusing on ultraviolet astronomy. It will be launched aboard the Angara-A5M with a Persei upper stage, and is expected to operate for at least five years, with a possible extension to 2036.
Officials said engineering work on launch systems and ground infrastructure will begin in 2027, while existing Russian and international observatories will support its operations, including stations in Russia and Ethiopia. If completed on schedule, Spectr-UV would become a major ultraviolet-focused space observatory and one of Russia’s flagship astronomy missions in the coming decades.
Credit – CGTN