Russian space officials aborted the test launch of a new heavy-lift rocket from the Vostochny space launch facility in the far east of the country. The Angara-A5 rocket was scheduled to lift off at 0900 GMT on Tuesday but was halted two minutes before the planned launch time. The head of Roscosmos state space corporation announced that the automatic safety system detected a flaw in the oxidizer tank pressurization system, leading to the cancellation of the launch. A new launch attempt is now scheduled for Wednesday.
The Angara-A5 rocket is part of the new Angara family of rockets designed to replace the Soviet-era Proton rockets. This launch was intended to be the fourth for the Angara-A5, with the previous three launches taking place from the Plesetsk launchpad in northwestern Russia.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia leased the Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan for its space launches. The lease agreement allows Russia to continue using Baikonur for launches by paying $115 million annually until 2050. Despite this arrangement, Russian authorities have been developing the Vostochny spaceport as the preferred launch site for Angara rockets. However, the construction of Vostochny has faced delays, and the facility has seen limited use thus far.
