Angara rocket

The Angara rocket is a planned space-launch vehicle, designed to place heavy payloads into orbit. It is currently under development at the Moscow-based Khrunichev State Space Scientific Production Center. The rocket will be primarily launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia, thereby reducing Russia's dependency on Kazakhstan for the use of their Baikonur Cosmodrome where the current generation of Russian rockets is launched from (but the heavy Angara A5 will be launched from both Plesetsk and Baikonur). The Angara will also end the need to purchase Zenit rockets from Ukraine.

The Angara will provide a similar lifting capability to the Proton rocket, the heavy lift workhorse of the Soviet Union and now Russia. The rockets are designed to be modular, similar to the US EELV, and the family will offer a range of configurations capable of lifting between 2,000 and 24,500 kilograms to LEO. Depending on configuration, the first stage can consist of 1, 3 or 5 Universal Rocket Modules (URM). Each module will use liquid oxygen and RP-1 instead of hypergolic fuels, eliminating the need for Russia to clean up crash sites and at the same time apply current technologies that have been used on all Soviet/Russian launchers since the 1950s. Angara, like the current Soyuz rocket, can carry either a LOX/RP-1 upper stage or, like that of the U.S. Atlas V EELV, a cryogenic upper stage fueled by LOX and liquid hydrogen (LH₂), similar to the U.S. Centaur upper stage.

In the latest news, Khrunichev said the center could, if necessary, develop a new super-heavy-lift Angara rocket capable of putting into orbit payloads of between 45 and 175 tons.

The first launch of an Angara (probably the Angara 1.1 or 1.2 version) is expected to take place in 2010 or 2011 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. [ [http://www.strana.ru/news/289273.html Declarations from Anatoly Bashlakov about the first launches of Angara rockets] (in Russian)] [ [http://www.federalspace.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=1748 Flight tests of Angara are planned during the years 2010-2011] (in Russian)]

Angara specifications

Comparable rockets:
Delta IV -
Atlas V -
Ariane 5 -
GSLV Mk.III -
Chang Zheng 5 -
Proton -
Falcon 9

Development history

On August 26, 1995 the government of Russia adopted a resolution to develop the Angara launcher system.cite web |url=http://www.khrunichev.ru/khrunichev_eng/live/full_news.asp?id=14884 |title=Successful Tests of Angara Stage 1 Engine |publisher=Khrunichev |date=2007-12-12]

On December 12, 2007 Krunichev announced that at NPO Energomash, engineers had successfully tested flight hydraulics and steering actuators for the first stage under near-flight conditions.

In cooperation with Salyut Design Bureau, Khrunichev designed a reusable flyback Baikal booster rocket, to serve as a first stage in the Angara family. [ [http://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikal.html Baikal booster stage] at RussianSpaceWeb]

On April 14, 2008, Rian news agency reported that the Flight tests of a new-generation Russian space launch vehicle will start in 2010, the director of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Center said on Monday.

The Angara rocket, currently under development, is designed to put heavy payloads into orbit. It is mainly planned for launch from the Plesetsk space center, in northwest Russia, which will reduce Moscow's dependence on Kazakhstan's Baikonur, the main launch pad for the current generation of Russian rockets.

"Flight tests are due to start in 2010. In early 2011, a lighter version of Angara is to be launched and by the end of the same year a heavy-class, Angara-5 vehicle is to lift off," Vladimir Nesterov said in an interview with the Rossiiskaya gazeta daily.

He added that the Angara will not only be used for military but also civilian purposes, specifically to put into orbit satellites as part of the Federal Space Program, as well as joint international space projects.

The new line of rockets will be available in a range of configurations capable of lifting between two and 24.5 metric tons to low-earth orbit.

Nesterov also said the center could, if necessary, develop a new super-heavy-lift rocket capable of putting into orbit payloads of between 45 and 175 tons.

On September 5, 2008, the creator of the RD-191 engine, NPO Energomash, reported that the engine has completed full cycle of development and burn tests and is ready for manufacturing and delivery. [cite web |url=http://www.vz.ru/society/2008/9/5/203826.print.html |title=A new engine is ready for Angara (in Russian) |date=2008-09-05]

See also

* Comparison of heavy lift launch systems

References

External links

* [http://www.khrunichev.ru/khrunichev/live/full_raket.asp?id=13187 Angara family page by the Khrunichev Center] (in Russian)
* [http://www.esa.int/export/esaMI/ESA_Permanent_Mission_in_Russia/SEMPPFADFZD_0.html Angara page by ESA]
* [http://www.astronautix.com/lvfam/energia.htm Energia family, including Angara launch vehicle] , at Encyclopedia Astronautica
* [http://www.russianspaceweb.com/angara.html Angara family] at RussianSpaceWeb
* [http://www.ilslaunch.com/missionplanner/index.cgi Angara specifications]

Russian launch vehicles