Russia makes second historic rocket launch amid space industry crisis

Russia launches a rocket from the country's new spacesport, a second attempt in 24 hours to launch the unmanned Soyuz rocket after a technical fault.

Russia launched its inaugural rocket from a new cosmodrome on Thursday, a day after a technical glitch thwarted the much-publicised event in a sign of continued crisis in the nation's space industry.

An unmanned Soyuz rocket carrying three satellites roared off from the launch pad at Vostochny cosmodrome in the Amur Region near China's border at 0501 Moscow time (0201 GMT), Russian news agencies reported.

The launch was called off less than two minutes before the lift-off on Wednesday, upsetting President Vladimir Putin who had flown thousands of kilometres to watch what Russian media and officials touted as an historic event.

Delays and corruption have blighted work on the new cosmodrome.

A European Space Agency launch in French Guiana, using a similar Russian Soyuz rocket, was also delayed by technical problems this month.