Russia's Vostochny spaceport postpones first rocket launch

The first rocket launch from Russia's Vostochny spaceport in the Far Eastern Amur region was postponed to Thursday, the space agency Roscosmos said Wednesday.

The decision was made after the Soyuz-2.1a rocket's tanks were filled with propellant components, Roscosmos said.

The rocket carrying three satellites -- Lomonosov, Aist-2D and SamSat-218 -- was due to launch at 5:01 a.m. Moscow time (0201 GMT) Wednesday.

On April 12, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin reported to President Vladimir Putin that all facilities of the Vostochny spaceport were technically ready for the first launch.

The construction of the space launch center began in 2012, occupying an area of about 700 square km.

It is destined to become the first national facility for civilian space launches, ensuring Russia's full-scale access to outer space and reducing dependence of the space industry on the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.

The first liftoff from Vostochny, initially scheduled for Dec. 25, 2015, was later rescheduled to this year.