RuAviation

The Cosmonaut Training Centre of the Roscosmos State Corporation has received a Tu-204-100V aircraft, registration number RA-64053, becoming the third member of this family in Roscosmos’ aviation division. The aircraft will be used to transport personnel and members of State Commissions involved in Russian space programmes, according to the press office of the United Aircraft Corporation.

The supercritical wing profile contributes to improved aerodynamic characteristics of the Tu-204-100V during cruise flight, and it is fitted with PS-90A turbofan engines. The aircraft is equipped with a digital control system, which enhances piloting accuracy and reduces the workload on the crew. The maximum take-off weight of the Tu-204-100V is 107.5 tonnes. The passenger capacity of aircraft RA-64053 is 94 people, and the flight range with a commercial load of 13,490 kg is 6,200 km (-2%).

Currently, two Tu-204 aircraft are already in operation in the Roscosmos aircraft fleet. One of them, a Tu-204-300 with registration number RA-64045, was added to the state corporation’s fleet in March 2019. It is used for transporting cosmonauts, specialists and equipment to the Baikonur and Vostochny cosmodromes. The second aircraft, a Tu-204-300, registration number RA-64044, was received in August 2019, and is also involved in supporting space technology flights.

This latest Tu-204-100V will strengthen Roscosmos’ ability to ensure personnel mobility and the rapid delivery of essential cargo, and will increase the efficiency of transport logistics within the framework of Russia’s space programmes. The aircraft will be integrated into the existing Roscosmos aviation support system to ensure the efficiency and reliability of tasks facing the corporation.

Aircraft RA-64053 was laid down at the Aviastar-SP plant as a Tu-204-100V, but was then converted into a Tu-204-300-100 for the special flight detachment (SLO) “Rossiya.” This modification was not certified, so the aircraft received a special certificate of airworthiness and was not transferred to the SLO. In the first half of 2019, it was converted back to the Tu-204-100V variant. It made its first flight in August 2016, and since 21 May 2024, the operator of the aircraft has been the airline Red Wings.