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Launch of Soyuz rocket rescheduled for December 1 over bad weather in Kourou-Roscosmos

Initially, the liftoff was scheduled for November 29
Director General of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin Alexander Ryumin/TASS
Director General of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin
© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

MOSCOW, November 30./TASS/. The launch of a Russian Soyuz-ST-A rocket with Falcon Eye 2 satellite for the United Arab Emirates from the Guiana Space Center near Kourou, French Guiana, was postponed until December 1 due to bad weather, Director General of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin has said on Twitter.

"Rescheduled for tomorrow due to weather conditions in Kourou," he blogged.

Initially, the liftoff was scheduled for November 29. Rogozin said on Saturday that the launch was postponed until November 30. Meanwhile, a source from the space industry told TASS on Friday that the final tests of the Soyuz-ST-A carrier rocket at the Kourou spaceport had been successful and no faults had been found.

Last 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. The source explained 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.

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.

The Soyuz-ST-A carrier rocket was developed and is manufactured by Russia’s Progress Space Rocket Center under the Soyuz program at the Guiana Space Center.

The launch vehicle is a modification of the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket of stage 1a adapted to the requirements of operation at the Guiana Space Center in terms of safety (receipt of telecommands from Earth to terminate the flight), the telemetry system (transmitters operating in the decimeter band with the European telemetry frame structure) and the conditions of operation (increased humidity, transportation by sea and others).