Russian rocket takes off for test flight on third attempt

A Russian rocket blasted off for a test flight on Thursday at the third try, after previous launch attempts earlier this week were aborted in the final seconds of countdown.

The flagship Angara A5 is designed to carry heavy payloads into low Earth orbit. Launch attempts on Tuesday and Wednesday were cancelled due to a failure in a pressurizing system in an oxidizer tank and in the engine control system, according to Roscosmos Space Agency.