Rokot mission delayed for technical reasons - source
MOSCOW. March 3 (Interfax-AVN) - The launch of a Rokot rocket coupled with three telecom satellites planned from the Plesetsk spaceport for Tuesday has been delayed indefinitely for technical reasons, a source in the rocket and space industry told Interfax-AVN.
"The state commission decided last night to remove the rocket from the launch pad and to send it back to the assembly and testing facility," he said.
The source said "the decision of the state commission had technical reasons" but declined to go into detail.
The Rokot launch vehicle, a derivative from the RS-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (NATO reporting name Stiletto), has had multiple problems caused by the control system of the Briz-KM upper stage manufactured by the Kharkiv Khartron plant.
Aerospace Defense Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Alexander Golovko declared the intention to stop using Rokot rockets in 2016 within the framework of the imports substitution project.
For now, the Defense Ministry has planned four Rokot missions, three of them in 2015 and another one in 2016.
In the future, the ministry is set to launch Soyuz-2.1v light vehicles and Angara rockets.