NEWTOWN, Conn. - After suffering from years of delays, the first Angara launches took place in 2014. Most of these delays are due to problems with upgrading the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Russia wants to launch the Angara from Plesetsk to reduce its dependence on the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is located in Kazakhstan. Owing to budget constraints in Moscow, the government has been unable to provide enough funding to expedite the necessary upgrades to the launch center's infrastructure.
The first launch of a lightweight Angara 1.2, took place in July 2014. The second launch, which consisted of an Angara A5 took place in December of that year. Russia expects to begin launching operational spacecraft, rather than the mock payloads that the first two launch vehicles carried, in 2016 or 2017.
While the lightweight Angara 1.2 was the first variant of the launch vehicle to lift off, it will not enter operational service until 2019. Eurockot, the commercial operator of the lightweight Rockot launch vehicle, does not expect to use the Angara 1.2 until 2019. While the Angara 1 is recognized as a more capable spacecraft, Rockot launches are cheaper because the Rockot is based on retired RS-18 ICBMs. Rockot launches will continue through the end of the decade, when the RS-18 ICBMs reach the end of their useful lifespans.
Production of the Angara A5 is expected to steadily increase as it takes over missions from the aging Proton launch vehicle. Russia expects the Angara to take over for the Proton for all government missions by the 2020s. While the Proton will remain in commercial service for some time after that, the Angara will eventually conduct commercial missions as well.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorized development of heavy-lift Angara launch vehicles. These will be able to carry between 120 and 150 tons into LEO. It is unclear when those launch vehicles will begin flights. It is also unclear when the Angara A3 will begin flights. However, it could be by the 2020s.
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