After several failed launches, Russia’s heavy-lift Angara-A5 rocket finally made it into space on Thursday.

The latest launch attempt came after two failed attempts earlier this week. On Tuesday, the launch was canceled due to a problem with the rocket’s pressurization system. On Wednesday, the launch was aborted by the rocket’s automatic safety system, which detected a problem with the engine start control mechanism.

Thursday’s launch was the fourth for the Angara-A5, which is a heavy-lift version of the new Angara family of rockets. The previous three launches were conducted from the Plesetsk launchpad in northwestern Russia.

The Angara-A5 is being developed to replace the Soviet-designed Proton rockets. It is intended to launch intelligence and communication satellites to geostationary orbits.

The development of the Angara-A5 has faced numerous delays. It is now years behind schedule.

Russia has been leasing the Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, Russia has been developing the Vostochny spaceport as the facility of choice for Angara launches. The construction of the new spaceport has taken longer than planned, and it has seen only limited use so far.

The Angara-A5 is expected to be the main launch vehicle for Russia’s prospective lunar research program.