Russia aborts planned test launch of new heavy-lift space rocket

Russian space officials have aborted a test launch of a new heavy-lift rocket from a far-eastern launch pad just moments before the planned blastoff. The Angara-A5 rocket had been scheduled to lift off from the Vostochny space launch facility at 0900 GMT Tuesday. No reason was given for the aborted liftoff and no new time for the next launch attempt was immediately set. Tuesday’s launch was to be the fourth for the Angara-A5, a heavy-lift version of the new Angara family of rockets that has been developed to replace the Soviet-designed Proton rockets.