bands available at Baikonur, and Plesetsk to the 3 allowed at the CSG range. Adaptation of the S-Band telemetry coding and frequency to the IRIG standard used at CSG. Adaptation of the oxygen purge system for directing to the outside the mobile gantry. Adaptation to the tropical CSG climate including the adaptation of the air conditioning system to local specifications and protective measures to avoid icing. All holes and cavities were studied and certified to be adequately protected against intrusion of insects and rodents. The four boosters and the core stage were upgraded with pyrotechnic devices to breach the fuel tanks to assure that they would sink in the ocean. The other stages were shown to lose structural integrity on impact and thus proven to sink. At least initially, the boosters and core stage would use the pyrotechnically ignited 14D22 (RD-107A) and 14D23 (RD-108A) rather than the chemically ignited 14D22 kHz and 14D23 kHz used on the rest of the Soyuz-2. Modifications for the Vostochny Cosmodrome version includes: New and upgraded computer, N.A.Semikhatov NPO Automatika's Malachite-7, with six times more performance, better obsolescence protection, reduced weight. The new computer enabled a significant reduction on the cable network complexity thanks to multiplexing lines and using common buses. New nickel-cadmium batteries that eliminate the need for a dedicated battery charging station. The inclusion of on-board video system, that will enable real-time views of the launch. Since the launch pad at Vostochny also has a mobile gantry for vertical payload integration, similar to the ELS at Guiana, it has the necessary piping to direct the oxygen purges outside the gantry. On 1 October 2015, it was announced that parts of the assembly complex for the Soyuz-2 at Vostochny Cosmodrome were designed for a different modification of the rocket and are too small, so that the planned first launch in December 2015 was under question. The first launch occurred on 28 April 2016 at 02:01:21 UTC. Notable missions Suborbital test flight On 8 November 2004, at 18:30 UTC, the first Soyuz-2 carrier rocket, in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration, was launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. The rocket followed a sub-orbital trajectory, with the third stage and boilerplate payload re-entering over the Pacific Ocean. Maiden launch The first attempt at launching a Soyuz-2 to orbit, with the MetOp-A satellite, occurred on 17 July 2006. It was scrubbed two hours before the launch by an automatic