The first test launch of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle (also known as Sunkar), previously scheduled for April 4, has been postponed. According to KazTAG, citing a source at Baikonur, the reason is additional checks of the launch complex equipment and carrier systems. The new date will be determined by the state commission after the comments are addressed.
Initially, the rocket was planned to be launched on March 27, but it was postponed due to technical reasons. On March 31, it was taken out of the assembly and testing complex and installed vertically at site 45.
«Soyuz-5» is a two-stage medium-class rocket with a height of up to 65 m, a launch mass of 531 tons, and a payload capacity of 17.4 tons to low orbit. The fuel is naphthyl and liquid oxygen.
The «Baiterek» project — a joint project with Kazakhstan — has been ongoing since 2004. Initially for «Angara», then redesigned for «Soyuz-5», using infrastructure from «Zenit». The rocket, which was supposed to fly back in 2022, has still not been tested.