On Tuesday, the first test launch of the Angara-A5 rocket was canceled regarding two minutes before the scheduled launch when the rocket’s central block oxidizer tank pressurization system failed.
A second launch attempt was also aborted on Wednesday following a defect in the engine’s launch control mechanism was detected, said Yuriy Borisov, the head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency. The crash was likely due to a programming error, he said.
Finally, the Angara-A5 launch, the fourth, took place on Thursday. The missile is the latest heavy-duty version of the Angara series of missiles designed to replace the Soviet-made Proton missiles.
The three previous tests were conducted at the Plesetsk launch site in northwestern Russia.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has leased the Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan and uses it for most of its space rocket launches. The lease agreement is valid until 2050, and Russia pays Kazakhstan 115 million annually. US dollars (107.2 million euros).
While Roskosmos continues to use Baikonur Cosmodrome, Russian authorities have built Vostochny Cosmodrome for Angara launches. The construction of the new spaceport has taken longer than planned and has so far seen limited use.
In addition, the development of the Angara-A-5, which is expected to be the main launch vehicle for Russia’s future lunar exploration program, has been repeatedly postponed and delayed for several years.
This new rocket is designed to launch intelligence and communications satellites into geostationary orbit.
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2024-04-15 19:42:35
