PLESETSK, Russia - The first heavy-lift Angara launch vehicle lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia on December 23 at 8:57 a.m. Moscow Time (12:57 a.m. EST). The launch vehicle, designated Angara A5, carried a mock two-ton payload to geosynchronous orbit.
Angara is a family of launch vehicles being developed by Russia to replace a wide range of rockets, including the Rockot, Kosmos 3M, Zenit, and Proton. The family of launch vehicles will be used for both commercial and military payloads. The modular design of the Angara family is expected to save on manufacturing costs. The rockets will also feature a more environmentally-friendly fuel mixture than current vehicles.
Development of the Angara family has taken decades. Delays were caused by disruptions in the 1990s due to financial problems in Russia. Upgrades to Plesetsk also took longer than expected, delaying the launch. With the first launch out of the way, production of Angara should start to ramp up. The first launch did not take place until July 10, 2014, when a lightweight Angara 1.2 lifted off for the first time.
The flexibility of the Angara family will allow a steady rate of production to fulfill multiple market niches. Production will be further bolstered by plans for this family of launch vehicles to replace a number of predecessors, including the Rockot, Kosmos 3M, Zenit, and Proton. International Launch Services will operate the Angara family of launchers on the commercial market, while the Russian government will use Angara launch vehicles to carry military spacecraft into orbit, replacing the Proton.
You have 0 item(s) in your cart