Arya News - The first medium-class Soyuz-5 launch vehicle has been delivered to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Russian state space corporation Roscosmos said.
"The Soyuz-5 launch vehicle has arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The rocket"s stages have been delivered to the assembly and testing building, where the rocket will be prepared for the upcoming launch," Roscosmos said in a statement. The rocket"s first launch is scheduled to take place before the end of 2025, the statement added. The low launch cost and high payload delivery accuracy are the main advantages of the new rocket, the state corporation said. The launch complex allows for automated preparation and launch, minimizing the rocket"s time on the launch pad and improving the precision of the scheduled launch time, it added. Soyuz-5 is a new medium-class rocket developed in Russia. It is equipped with new engines developed by Roscosmos and will be able to launch up to 17 tonnes worth of payload into a low Earth orbit. The Soyuz-5 rocket will be launched from the upgraded Site 45 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, previously used for Zenit rocket launches. Three test flights are planned, followed by at least two launches per year.