For the first time, Russia launched a Soyuz-5 rocket capable of carrying 17 tons into orbit

This is the ninth Russian space launch since the start of 2026 and the very first of the Soyuz-5 rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The test flight, carried out on April 30 around 9 p.m., took place along a suborbital trajectory with a model on board simulating a real payload.

The two stages of the rocket functioned normally and the payload model followed the calculated trajectory, reports the Ukrainian specialist site Militarnyi. The craft reached its target area approximately nine and a half minutes after takeoff, before landing in the Pacific Ocean.

One of the most powerful engines in its category

The launch was carried out from launch pad 45 which had not been used for 9 years. Originally designed for Zenit rockets, it became unusable after the supply of some Ukrainian-made components was stopped and before the development of Soyuz-5.

This medium-class launcher designed mainly for unmanned missions can transport up to 17 tonnes of payload into orbit, in particular thanks to its RD-171MV engine, presented as one of the most powerful in its category.

According to the Russian space agency Roscosmos, the launcher developed by the company Progress should reduce launch costs while improving orbit accuracy, with applications for commercial satellites and government missions.