Russia Halts Planned Test Launch of New Heavy-Lift Space Rocket
Russian space officials encountered a setback on Tuesday as they aborted the planned test launch of a new heavy-lift rocket from its far-eastern launch pad.
The Angara-A5 rocket was scheduled to take off from the Vostochny space launch facility at 0900 GMT on Tuesday. However, the launch was halted two minutes before liftoff. Yuri Borisov, head of the Roscosmos state space corporation, explained that the automatic safety system intervened, canceling the launch due to a flaw detected in the oxidizer tank pressurization system.
Borisov further stated that the next attempt for the launch was rescheduled for Wednesday.
Tuesday’s launch marked the fourth attempt for the Angara-A5, which represents a heavy-lift variant of the new Angara rocket family developed to replace the Soviet-designed Proton rockets. The initial three launches took place from the Plesetsk launchpad in northwestern Russia.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia leased the Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan, maintaining it as the primary site for space launches. This arrangement, costing Russia $115 million annually, extends through 2050. Despite this reliance on Baikonur, Russian authorities have aimed to establish Vostochny as the preferred launch facility for Angara missions. However, delays in the construction of Vostochny have hindered its progress, resulting in limited utilization thus far.