Russia launches second rocket from new cosmodrome

Carrying a meteorological satellite, the Soyuz rocket took off at 2.41 pm local time, as scheduled.

Moscow: Russia launched a second rocket from its new Vostochny cosmodrome in the far east on Tuesday, marking another milestone after the inaugural liftoff there last year.

Carrying a meteorological satellite and other equipment, the Soyuz rocket took off at 2.41 pm local time (0541 GMT), as scheduled.

National television broadcast live footage of the launch, showing the rocket taking off into a grey sky.

The first launch from Vostochny spaceport in far eastern Russia took place in April 2016, with President Vladimir Putin overseeing the take-off.

That launch was a major milestone for the country`s beleaguered space sector, with the new cosmodrome touted to mark a rebirth of an industry plagued by a string of embarrassments in recent years.