Ukraine’s long-awaited first telecommunications satellite Lybid has suffered a further blow due to financial reasons.
According to AKTR and Izvestia, Russia’s Federal Space Agency Roskosmos has decided not to deliver the RD-171M rocket Zenit due required to launch the satellite to the agency’s failure to reach an agreement with the Ukrainian side.
Roskosmos expects payment for the satellite before its delivery and the Ukrainian side is in serious financial difficulties.
Lybid was due to launch in mid-2014, only for its launch to be put back to the end of the year for what the local media described as technical reasons.
Earlier, the launch date was moved from the spring to summer due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
