Russia and Kazakhstan have delayed the debut of their joint Baiterek space project, pushing back the Russian Soyuz-5 rocket launch.
Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, said it will announce a new launch date once all testing is complete and all parties involved agree.
The Soyuz-5 was originally set to launch by the end of the year from the new Baiterek facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russia’s main space launch site, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
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Russia delayed the Baiterek rocket launch to carry out extra checks on onboard systems and ground equipment, according to Roscosmos.
The agency said the program is in its final stage, with additional testing aimed at ensuring a safe and successful first launch.
The project is seen as a competitor to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The rocket’s development was earlier hit by the international sanctions imposed on Russia.
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Meanwhile, Musk and other experts see huge growth potential for SpaceX.
Musk expects the company to reach a $100 trillion valuation, citing the need for moon bases and the launch of solar-powered AI satellites.
Bill Ackman, founder of the investment firm Pershing Square Capital Management, proposed that SpaceX could go public next year via the firm’s special purpose acquisition rights vehicle, Pershing Square SPARC Holdings, touting it as a move that would “reward loyal Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) shareholders with the opportunity to invest in SpaceX.”
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Ryan Koontz of Needham said Rocket Lab’s vertical integration and expanding space systems business provide a competitive moat. Koontz expects the upcoming Neutron rocket to unlock further value.
He also highlighted a major defense contract for missile-warning satellites that doubled Rocket Lab’s space systems backlog to $1.4 billion, noting recent acquisitions have strengthened the company’s internal supply chain.
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