Russia successfully test-launches new rocket
The newest heavy-class Angara rocket which has been developed with a view to launching manned spacecraft has been successfully launched.
Caption: The Angara-A5 rocket blasts off from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. A Ria Novosti/ Russian Defence Ministry photo
MOSCOW (AFP): Russia on Tuesday successfully test-launched its newest heavy-class Angara rocket, which has been developed with a view to launching manned spacecraft, the defence ministry said.
President Vladimir Putin oversaw by video link the launch of the Angara-A5 from Plesetsk in northern Russia at 1127 IST, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The test launch of the light version of the Angara rocket in June was unsuccessful due to a sudden automatic launch abort.
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.
President Vladimir Putin oversaw by video link the launch of the Angara-A5 from Plesetsk in northern Russia at 1127 IST, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The test launch of the light version of the Angara rocket in June was unsuccessful due to a sudden automatic launch abort.
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.
