MOSCOW, April 30. /TASS/. The Soyuz-5, a new generation medium-lift carrier rocket, was launched from the Baikonur Spaceport at 9:00 p.m. Moscow time (6:00 p.m. GMT) on Thursday, Roscosmos reported.

"A special launch was conducted today as Soyuz-5, a new Russian carrier rocket with the world’s most powerful liquid-fuel engine, blasted off. <...> Operating the rocket will make it possible to substantially reduce the unit cost of the payload capacity. This will have a positive impact on the economics of space launches," the Russian state-owned space corporation quoted its CEO Dmitry Bakanov as saying.

According to the Roscosmos chief, the high precision of payload delivery into near-Earth orbit is what makes the carrier rocket special, and its carrying capacity is 17 tons. The Soyuz-5 rocket, built as part of the joint Russian-Kazakh project Baitrek, will create new jobs in the two countries and "new opportunities marking a new step in space exploration," Bakanov concluded.

Previously, the Soyuz-5 launch was planned for the end of 2025. The launch date was then rescheduled to allow for additional testing of both the onboard systems and ground equipment.

Soyuz-5 is a medium-class carrier rocket developed and manufactured by the Samara-based Progress Rocket and Space Center. Designed to launch unmanned spacecraft into various low-Earth orbits, including using upper stages, it is a two-stage launch vehicle with a sequential arrangement of stages. It utilizes reliable and flight-proven solutions, and the rocket is safe for the environment thanks to the use of environmentally friendly rocket propellant components.