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Soyuz launch from Kourou spaceport put off until Monday — Rogozin

Final tests of a Soyuz-ST-A carrier rocket at the Kourou spaceport passed successfully

MOSCOW, November 28. /TASS/. The launch of Soyuz-ST-A carrier rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana has been postponed until Monday, November 30, Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin said on Saturday.

"The Guiana Space Center has taken a decision to continue preparations and to launch the carrier rocket at 4.33 a.m. Moscow time on November 30, 2020," Rogozin wrote on Twitter.

On Friday, a source in the domestic space industry told TASS that the final tests of a Soyuz-ST-A carrier rocket at the Kourou spaceport had passed successfully and no faults had been found. On Monday, a source told TASS that Roscosmos specialists had found technical problems with the rocket during preparations for its launch from the Guiana Space Center. A source in the space industry explained to TASS that a leakage of the electric pneumatic valve had been found during tests at the assembly and measuring compound. A new item was brought from Russia to replace it, the source said.

Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin confirmed on Tuesday that Russian specialists had found a faulty valve in the Soyuz launch vehicle at the Kourou spaceport, thus preventing an accident during its launch.

A Soyuz-ST-A carrier rocket for orbiting a UAE Falcon Eye 2 satellite is scheduled to blast off from the Kourou spaceport on November 30. The launch was numerously delayed over faults with the Fregat booster.