Russia’s space agency aborts launch of astronauts to International Space Station

The Soyuz-2.1a rocket booster with Soyuz MS-25 spaceship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station stands at the launch pad after cancellation of the launch at the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan (Roscosmos space corporation via AP)

Russia aborted the launch of three astronauts to the International Space Station moments before they were scheduled to lift off but the crew are safe, officials have said.

The Russian Soyuz rocket was to carry Nasa astronaut Tracy Dyson, Oleg Novitsky of Roscosmos and Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus from the Russian-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan.