Russia and Kazakhstan have delayed the first launch under their joint Baiterek space project, pushing back the debut of the Russian Soyuz 5 rocket to allow for additional checks.
The launch was postponed in order to carry out additional checks of both onboard systems and ground equipment, Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a Telegram post. The Baiterek program is in its final stage and extra tests are aimed at creating optimal conditions for a safe and successful first launch, it added.