MOSCOW, July 17 (RIA Novosti) - The first launch of a new generation carrier rocket, Soyuz-2.1a, has been put off until Tuesday for technical reasons, mission control said Monday.

The rocket was to have piggybacked a European weather satellite into orbit at 8:28 p.m. Moscow time from Baikonur space center.

"The launch has been postponed for technical reasons. It will take place on July 18, at 8:28 p.m. [Moscow time]," an official at Russia's Federal Space Agency said.