Roscosmos Launches 1st Angara-A5 Rocket from Vostochny Cosmodrome

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Angara-A5 successfully launched on April 11, 2024, from Vostochny Cosmodrome, replacing Proton M as Russia's heavy-lift rocket.

An Overview of the News

• The rocket attained speeds exceeding 25,000 km/hr and placed a test payload into low orbit.

• The launch coincided with Russia's Cosmonaut Day on April 12, commemorating Yuri Gagarin's historic spaceflight in 1961.

• It will replace Russia's heavy-lift rocket Proton-M, which has served in this role since the mid-1960s.

Angara-A5:

• The Angara-A5 stands 54.5 meters tall and comprises three stages, with a hefty weight of approximately 773 tonnes.

• It boasts a payload capacity of up to 24.5 tonnes to lower orbit.

• Notably, the rocket employs a more environmentally friendly fuel combination of oxygen and kerosene, departing from the toxic heptyl used in previous models.

• The Angara series, developed by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Centre, derives its name from the Angara River, originating from Lake Baikal in Siberia.

Project Angara Origins:

• Conceptualized in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Project Angara aimed to diminish Russia's reliance on the Baikonur Cosmodrome, leased from Kazakhstan until 2050.

About Roscosmos:

• Headed by Director-General Yuri Ivanovich Borisov, Roscosmos operates from its headquarters in Moscow, Russia.

• Established in 1992, the agency has been instrumental in advancing Russia's space exploration endeavors.