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Russian space firm launches production of new Soyuz-5 carrier rocket

The Soyuz-5 rocket is designed for launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome as part of the Baiterek joint project with Kazakhstan

© Piotr Gridin/TASS

SAMARA, May 31. /TASS/. The Progress Space Rocket Center based in Samara in the Volga area has launched the production of a new Soyuz-5 carrier rocket, Progress CEO Dmitry Baranov said on Friday.

"Now we have launched the production of [fuel] tanks of the Soyuz-5 carrier rocket. We have no right to disrupt the deadline of the rocket’s production and believe we are able to comply with it," the chief executive said.

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Russia developing Soyuz-5 rocket to capture commercial launch market

The Soyuz-5 (Irtysh) medium-class carrier rocket is being developed by Energia Space Rocket Corporation. The rocket is designed for launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome as part of the Baiterek joint project with Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz-5 will be able to deliver the promising manned Federatsiya spacecraft into a low near-Earth orbit. The Soyuz-5 is set to be developed by 2021. During the new rocket’s flight tests, its four launches are planned to be carried out in 2022-2025.

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