Russia Launches Soyuz-5 Rocket in First Flight Test from Baikonur

A new Russian medium-class launch vehicle Soyuz-5, was launched overnight on Friday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan as part of its first flight tests, Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos said. According to Roscosmos, the Soyuz-5 is equipped with what it described as the world's most powerful liquid-fuelled rocket engine. The launch marked the first test flight of the new-generation rocket. Roscosmos said the first and second stages operated normally and that a payload mock-up was placed on a planned suborbital trajectory before falling into the Pacific Ocean. The space agency said the new rocket is designed to reduce the cost of launching payloads, double payload capacity to up to 17 tonnes and use environmentally cleaner fuel components. The Baikonur Cosmodrome is one of the most iconic sites in space exploration history. In 1961, it became the launch site of the world's first human spaceflight, with Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin lifting off from there in the Vostok 1. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia continued to operate Baikonur under a lease agreement with Kazakhstan. In 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia launched the joint Baiterek project, aimed at modernising launch facilities at Baikonur and facilitating a transition to more environmentally friendly rocket systems. Kazakhstan and Russia continue close cooperation in the space sector. In 2021, the Kazakh parliament extended Russia's lease of Baikonur until 2050. The launch of Soyuz-5/Sunkar marks a turning point for Kazakhstan's space ambitions, positioning the country closer to becoming a new space power. With the development of the Baiterek launch complex and growing control over modern launch infrastructure at Baikonur, Kazakhstan is moving beyond its historical role as a spaceport operator.