Sputnik comes to you live from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, where Russia is conducting its breakthrough launch of the Angara-A5 rocket, the 761-ton behemoth designed to boost national self-sufficiency in space exploration.
The goal is to launch a total of 15 Angara rockets, each equipped with Orion modules, within the next decade. The strategic objective is to establish a national orbital station. The Angara-A5 rocket, developed by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, consists entirely of Russian-made components.
The launch, which was originally scheduled for March 9, was cancelled over a detected malfunction in the oxidizer tank boost system.
Follow Sputnik's live feed to watch a truly historic event in space exploration!