Science & Technology

Russia aborts Soyuz MS-25 launch after ‘voltage drop’

Moscow, Mar 21 (EFE).- Russia aborted the launch of the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft on Thursday after a “voltage drop”, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

The spacecraft, which is sending three crew members, including the first Belarusian due to fly in space, Marina Vasilevskaya, to the International Space Station (ISS), will instead be launched on Saturday, Roscosmos director Yury Borisov said.

The launch was suspended with the Soyuz already on the launch ramp, just seconds before its planned departure at 13:21 GMT from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with the help of a Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket.

“At the final stage of preparations an emergency situation took place and the whole process was interrupted (…) The reason was the voltage drop in the technical power supply,” Borisov said.

Roscosmos explained that the liftoff was “automatically” aborted just as the spacecraft’s engines were ready for launch and were giving off smoke.

“Attention. An automatic flight cancellation has occurred. Bring the units in the launch complex to their departure status. Prepare for parking for 24 hours,” the Russian agency reported during the live broadcast.

“Today’s Soyuz launch was aborted at the 20-second mark. The spacecraft and crew remain safe’, US space agency NASA announced.

Initially, Soyuz MS-25 was to due be launched on Mar. 13, but Roscosmos postponed it to Mar. 21.

The Soyuz MS-25 crew consists of Vasilevskaya, who is flying in space for the first time, Russian Oleg Novitski and American Tracy Dyson.

Novitski and Vasilevskaya will stay in the ISS for a total of 12 days, after which they will both return to Earth aboard Soyuz MS-24.

Vasilevskaya’s flight was agreed by Russian President Vladimir Putin with his Belarusian counterpart and main ally, Alexandr Lukashenko, in April 2022.

Currently on the ISS are Americans Loral O’Hara, Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps. EFE

mos/ks

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