Russia's Soyuz-5 completes debut launch from Baikonur with Pacific reentry
Russia's brand-new Soyuz-5 rocket just pulled off its debut launch on April 30, 2026, blasting off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Roscosmos shared that everything went smoothly: both stages worked as planned and the mockup wrapped up with a reentry into the designated area in the Pacific Ocean.
This marks a big milestone after nearly a decade of development.
Soyuz-5 comparable to Falcon 9, expendable
Soyuz-5 is Russia's answer to replacing Ukraine-built Zenit rockets, especially important since tensions with Ukraine ramped up in 2022.
The rocket is comparable in size and lifting power to SpaceX's Falcon 9, but unlike some competitors, it isn't reusable.
While it boosts Russia's space ambitions, its single-use design and current global politics might make it a tough sell outside Russia as reusable rockets become the norm.