New Russian space launch vehicle undergoing final tests, top official says

April 11 (Reuters) - A new Russian launch vehicle, Soyuz-5, is undergoing its final tests and is "absolutely ‌ready" for use in space projects, Russia's ‌top space official said on Saturday.

Dmitry Bakanov, head of the Russian ​space agency Roscosmos, was presenting details of the rocket to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the eve of the 65th anniversary of the first flight in space ‌by Soviet cosmonaut ⁠Yuri Gagarin.

Bakanov said the Soyuz-5 would be the first new launch vehicle developed in ⁠Russia since 2014.

"The new Soyuz-5 launch vehicle is absolutely ready. This is our joint project with our partners ​in Kazakhstan ​known as Baiterek," Russian ​news agencies quoted Bakanov ‌as saying.

"Currently, tests of all units and assemblies are underway."

Bakanov said the rocket had already been placed during tests in a vertical position as preparations proceeded.

Plans call for the new two-stage rocket, capable of placing ‌payloads of up to 17 metric ​tonnes in orbit, to be ​used in place ​of Zenit rockets.

Launches will be conducted at ‌the Baikonur space centre dating ​from Soviet ​times and now located in Kazakhstan.

Putin, quoted by Russian news agencies, said Russia's space industry was ​now "feeling more confident. ‌I know that many problems had accumulated there ​over a long period of time."

(Reporting by ​Reuters; Editing by Paul Simao)