Russia’s space agency leader announced Saturday that the nation’s newest rocket has completed its testing phase and stands ready for operational missions.
Dmitry Bakanov, who leads Roscosmos, briefed President Vladimir Putin about the Soyuz-5 rocket’s progress just one day before Russia commemorates the 65th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic first human journey into space.
According to Bakanov, this marks Russia’s first newly developed rocket system since 2014.
“The new Soyuz-5 launch vehicle is absolutely ready. This is our joint project with our partners in Kazakhstan known as Baiterek,” Russian news agencies reported Bakanov telling Putin.
“Currently, tests of all units and assemblies are underway,” he added.
The space agency chief explained that testing teams have already positioned the rocket vertically as part of ongoing preparation procedures.
The two-stage rocket system is designed to carry payloads weighing up to 17 metric tons into orbit and will eventually replace the older Zenit rocket fleet.
Future launches will take place at the historic Baikonur space facility, which dates back to the Soviet era and operates from Kazakhstan.
Putin acknowledged improvements in Russia’s space sector, saying the industry was now “feeling more confident. I know that many problems had accumulated there over a long period of time,” according to Russian media reports.
