Russia and Kazakhstan have postponed the first launch under the joint space project "Baiterek," delaying the debut of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle to conduct additional checks of onboard and ground systems. This is reported by Bloomberg, according to UNN.
Details
The launch was postponed to conduct additional checks of both onboard systems and ground equipment. The Baiterek program is in its final stages, and additional tests are aimed at creating optimal conditions for a safe and successful first launch.
The Soyuz-5 rocket was supposed to launch by the end of the year from the Baiterek complex, a new facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which has served as Russia's main spaceport for decades. The program is positioned as a competitor to Elon Musk's SpaceX.
However, the development of the new rocket has been years behind schedule, complicated by sanctions first imposed after the annexation of Crimea by President Vladimir Putin in 2014, and later expanded after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Roscosmos stated on Friday that the launch date of the Soyuz-5 spacecraft will be determined after all tests are completed and agreed upon by all participants in the program.
For launching spacecraft and equipment, Russia currently uses domestic cosmodromes. On December 25, it sent a Soyuz 2.1a launch vehicle with a spacecraft from Plesetsk and plans to send another Soyuz on December 28 from Vostochny.
Recall
Roscosmos plans to build a stationary power source on the Moon by 2036. The project is being implemented jointly with China to provide energy for a future scientific base and lunar rovers.