The launch of Soyuz 2.1a rocket with Meridian-M military satellite from Plesetsk, northern Russia, was cancelled over a malfunction of the booster’s electrical equipment, two sources in the rocket and space sector told TASS on Sunday.

"The launch was cancelled over a problem with the booster’s electrical equipment," one of the sources said.

Another source confirmed the electrical equipment’s malfunction, noting that the rocket has been taken off the launch pad and it is expected that an effort to eliminate the malfunction will take "one or two weeks."

The mishap was detected at around 9 a.m. Moscow time on Friday before the rocket was fueled. According to Spaceflightnow portal, the Soyuz 2.1a launch with Meridian-M satellite was scheduled for 2 p.m. Moscow time on January 24.

The rocket was installed on a modernized launch pad number 3 at Plesetsk spaceport. The first launch from this pad after reconstruction works was carried out on December 11, 2019.

Quelle: TASS