Russia's Angara 5 on track for December debut

Russian rocket-maker Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center says it has completed comprehensive tests of the new heavy-lift Angara 5 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia ahead of a planned flight test this month.

Khrunichev said the rocket was installed on the launch pad Nov. 10 in preparation for ground tests, which analyzed launch vehicle electrical systems and pad equipment. It has since been transferred to an integration and testing facility for subsequent preparation in the run-up to its launch debut which the company says is still on track for December.

The Angara family of rockets mark Russia's first launch vehicle development since the Cold War era and are an essential part of President Vladimir Putin’s effort to revive Russia's space industry. Capable of delivering 7.5 metric tons to orbit, the Angara 5 is designed to replace the Russian Proton M/Briz-M heavy-lift launcher, which has suffered a series of launch failures and delays in recent years.

A lighter version of the new rocket, the Angara 1.2 designed to lift 3.8 metric tons to low Earth orbit, was debuted in July.