Russia Launched New Angara A5 Rocket

Russia have launched its monster Angara A5 heavy-lift rocket. It has launched it six years after acing its first test flight.

Key Facts

• The rocket was launched on December  14 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.
• The rocket comprise of Breeze-M upper stage and a mock spacecraft. Both got successfully separated from the launch vehicle after 12 minutes and 28 seconds of liftoff.

Angara A5

• Angara rockets do not use aggressive and toxic propellants.
• Thus, the rocket will increase the environmental safety both in the areas adjacent to the launch complex and in the drop zones.
• It comprise of one Universal Rocket Module (URM) -1 core and four URM-1 boosters.
• It has a 3.6m URM-2 second stage and an upper stage.
• It has a payload capacity of 24.5 tonnes to a 200 km x 60° orbit.
• The first Angara A5 test flight was carried on December 23, 2014.

Geostationary-orbiting satellites

Angara will allow Russia to launch its geostationary-orbiting satellites from its own territory. The rocket make use of environmental friendly fuel. These satellites are launched now from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The rocket was launched from the Proton rocket line. This rocket uses toxic hydrazine fuel.

Angara rocket family

It is a family of space-launch vehicles. It has been developed by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center nased in Moscow. these rockets will be put between 3,800 and 24,500 kg into low Earth orbit. The smallest Angara which is under development is Angara 1.2. SO far, three variants have been developed. Other proposed variants include- Angara 1.1, Angara A3, Angara A5P etc.