MOSCOW. June 27 (Interfax-AVN) - The first trial launch of an Angara LV has been delayed until the auxiliary date, June 28, Aerospace Defense Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Alexander Golovko said.
"The automatic system aborted the launch during the countdown. The launch will be delayed until the auxiliary date, June 28," Golovko said.
The launch was aborted only a few minutes before takeoff.
Specialists from the Aerospace Defense Forces and Roscosmos will assess the situation and report the reasons for the aborted mission within an hour, Golovko said.
Meanwhile, a source in the rocket and space industry who participated in the design and construction of the Angara launch site told Interfax-AVN that the Angara launch was aborted during the so-called "rocket-borne sequence" and its cause was unknown for now.
The automatic abort system was installed on the launch site to prevent mission failures, he said. "If the product was saved from a failed launch this is good. Any delay is normal during tests, and the first launch of the Angara LV is a test. There is no need to hurry, work goes on," the source said.
He said it was better to delay the launch and make the mission successful, especially the inaugural mission, than to have an accident.