Russia Successfully Test-Launches New Space Eco-Rocket

Local Editor

Russia on Tuesday successfully test-launched its newest heavy-class Angara rocket, which has been developed with a view to launching manned spacecraft, the defense ministry said.

President Vladimir Putin oversaw by video link the launch of the Angara-A5 from Plesetsk in northern Russia at 0557 GMT, the defense ministry said in a statement.

"A 08:57 Moscow time, the heavy-class rocket Angara-A5 was launched by a Space Forces crew of the Arkhangelsk Region from the universal launch site of the state test facility of the Russian Defense Ministry [the Plesetsk Cosmodrome]," the ministry said in a statement.

The success was reported by Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu to President Vladimir Putin, who was monitoring the launch.

Designed to succeed Proton and other Soviet-era launchers, the Angara is billed as the first rocket to have been completely built after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Angara rockets use the module principle in their production, enabling to assemble a booster of necessary payload capability using standard modules.

According to Aleksandr Medvedev, the Khrunichev Center official, the center has already prepared calculations proving that Angara rockets will be capable of delivering manned missions to the orbit, a task much more delicate than launching satellites and communication platforms.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team