ALMATY, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Thursday launched its new-generation Soyuz-5 medium-class carrier rocket, marking its maiden launch under the framework of flight development tests, state space corporation Roscosmos said.
According to a statement released on Roscosmos' official website, the Soyuz-5 rocket lifted off from Launch Pad 45 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9 p.m. Moscow time on Thursday (1800 GMT), carrying a mock payload into a suborbital trajectory.
The first and second stages of the rocket operated normally, and the mock payload subsequently splashed down in a designated area of the Pacific Ocean, the statement said.
Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov said the Soyuz-5 is capable of delivering up to 17 tonnes to low-Earth orbit with high precision and is expected to reduce the unit cost of payload delivery significantly.
Developed and built by the Progress Rocket Space Center in Samara, the Soyuz-5 is designed to launch uncrewed spacecraft into low-Earth orbit.
The rocket features a two-stage serial configuration and uses environmentally friendly propellant components.
Originally scheduled for launch in late 2025, the program was delayed to allow for additional testing of onboard systems and ground equipment. ■
