Source : The Canadian Press
Russian space officials in Moscow announced the cancellation of the planned test launch of a new heavy-lift rocket from the Vostochny space launch facility on Tuesday.
The Angara-A5 rocket was scheduled to take off at 0900 GMT but was aborted two minutes prior. Yuri Borisov, head of Roscosmos state space corporation, stated that the automatic safety system halted the launch due to a flaw in the oxidizer tank pressurization system. The next launch attempt is scheduled for Wednesday.
This launch was intended to be the fourth for the Angara-A5, a heavy-lift version of the new Angara family of rockets designed to replace the Soviet-era Proton rockets. The previous 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 and continued using it for most of its space missions. The agreement allows Russia to lease Baikonur for $115 million annually until 2050.
Despite reliance on Baikonur, Russian authorities have developed Vostochny as the preferred facility for Angara launches. However, the construction of the new spaceport has faced delays, and its utilization has been limited thus far.
