Overview
- Roscosmos confirmed the inaugural Soyuz-5 has been delivered to Baikonur and moved into the assembly-and-test building for preparations.
- President Vladimir Putin said he expects the first launch from the Bayterek complex to take place before the end of 2025.
- The maiden mission is planned from Baikonur’s upgraded Site 45, developed with Kazakhstan under the Bayterek project.
- The launch complex supports automated pre-launch operations to reduce pad time and improve adherence to scheduled liftoff times.
- The flight-test program calls for three launches, after which planners aim for at least two Soyuz-5 missions annually with a focus on lower cost and high insertion accuracy.