Angara (rocket family)

Angara

First operational launch of Angara-A5 rocket
Function
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	Template:Cvt
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	Template:Cvt
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Family
Comparable	Naro-1 used a modified URM-1 first stage
Launch history
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FailureTemplate:Pluralize from text
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Boosters (A5) – URM-1
No. boosters	4
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First stage – URM-1
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Second stage – URM-2
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Third stage (A5) – Briz-M (optional)
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Third stage (A5) – Blok DM-03 (optional)
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Third stage (A5) – KVTK (optional, under development)
Empty mass
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The Angara rocket family (Template:Langx) is a family of launch vehicles being developed by the Moscow-based Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. The launch vehicles are to put between Template:Cvt and Template:Cvt into low Earth orbit and are intended, along with Soyuz-2 variants, to replace several existing launch vehicles.

History

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, some formerly Soviet launch vehicles required components from companies now located in Ukraine, such as Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, which produced Zenit-2, and Yuzhmash, which produced Dnepr and Tsyklon. Additionally, the Soviet Union's main spaceport, Baikonur Cosmodrome, was located in Kazakhstan, and Russia encountered difficulties negotiating for its use. This led to the decision in 1992 to develop a new entirely Russian launch vehicle, named Angara, to replace the launch vehicles now built outside of the country, and ensure Russian access to space without Baikonur. It was decided that this vehicle should ideally use the partially completed Zenit-2 launch pad at the Russian Plesetsk Cosmodrome, and be able to launch military satellites into geosynchronous orbit, which Proton could not due to lack of a launch pad at Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Several companies submitted bids for the new launch vehicle, and in 1994 Khrunichev, the developer of Proton, was selected as the winner. The commercial success of Proton over the next two decades would be an advantage to Khrunichev, as the Angara project immediately ran into funding difficulties from the cash-strapped Russian government.

Khrunichev's initial design called for the use of a modified RD-170 for first stage propulsion and a liquid hydrogen powered second stage. By 1997, the hydrogen-powered second stage had been abandoned in favor of kerosene, and the RD-170 was replaced with a modular design which would be powered by the new RD-191, a one-chamber engine derived from the four-chamber RD-170. In late 1997, Khrunichev was given approval from the Russian government to proceed with their new design, which would both be able to replace the ICBM-based Dnepr, Tsyklon, and Rokot with its smaller variants, as well as be able to launch satellites into geostationary orbit from Plesetsk with the Proton-class Angara A5.

By 2004, the design of Angara had taken shape and the project proceeded with development of the launchers. In 2008, NPO Energomash, the builder of the RD-191, reported that the engine had completed development and burn tests and was ready for manufacturing and delivery, and in January 2009 the first completed Angara first stage was delivered to Khrunichev. The next year Vladimir Nesterov, Director-General of Khrunichev, announced that the first flight test of Angara would be scheduled for 2013, and in 2013 the first prototype Angara launch vehicle arrived in Plesetsk.

In 2014, 22 years after Angara's original conception, the first launch took place on 9 July 2014, an Angara 1.2PP suborbital test flight from the northern Plesetsk Cosmodrome. On 23 December 2014, Angara A5's first test flight was performed, launching it into geosynchronous orbit. In June 2020, it was reported that the first Angara Launching Pad was completed and would be transported to Vostochny Cosmodrome.

On 14 December 2020, 6 years after the first test flight, Angara-A5's second test flight took place from Plesetsk. According to Roscosmos chief Dmitriy Rogozin speaking about future plans after the launch in December 2020, two more Angara launches were coming in 2021: an Angara-1.2 and an Angara-A5 with a new booster, Persei. Only the launch of Angara-A5 with Persei upper stage ended up happening in 2021. The maiden flight of Angara 1.2 happened on 29 April 2022.

Vehicle description

Angara mock-ups at the MAKS 2009 airshow near Moscow

URM-1: first stage and boosters

The Universal Rocket Module (URM-1) forms the core of every Angara vehicle. In the Angara A5, four additional URM-1s act as boosters. Each URM-1 is powered by a single NPO Energomash RD-191 burning liquid oxygen and RP-1 (kerosene).

The RD-191 is a single-chamber engine derived from the four-chamber RD-170, originally developed for the boosters powering the Energia launch vehicle. Zenit's four-chamber RD-171 and the dual-chamber RD-180 powering ULA's Atlas V are also derivatives of the RD-170, as is the RD-193 proposed as a replacement for the 1970s-era NK-33 powering the first stage of the Soyuz 2.1v. The RD-191 is capable of throttling down to at least 30%, allowing core URM-1 stages to conserve propellant until booster URM-1 separation.

The URM-1 consists of a liquid oxygen tank at the top, followed by an intertank structure containing flight control and telemetry equipment, with the kerosene tank below that. At the base of the module is a propulsion bay containing engine gimballing equipment for vehicle pitch and yaw and thrusters for roll control.

URM-2: second stage

The second stage of the Angara, designated URM-2, uses one KBKhA RD-0124A engine also burning liquid oxygen and kerosene. The RD-0124A is nearly identical to the RD-0124 currently powering the second stage of Soyuz-2, designated Block I. The URM-2 has a diameter of Template:Cvt for the Angara A5 and other proposed variants. The Angara 1.2 will fly a smaller RD-0124A-powered second stage, which may be Template:Cvt to maintain commonality with Block I or widened to Template:Cvt to maintain a consistent diameter with URM-1.Template:Update inline span

Upper stages (after 2nd)

Angara 1.2 will not use an upper stage, nor will Angara A5 when delivering payloads to low orbits. For higher energy orbits such as GTO, Angara A5 will use the Briz-M upper stage (currently used for the Proton-M rocket), powered by one S5.98M burning N₂O₄ and UDMH, or eventually a new cryogenic upper stage, the KVTK. This stage will use the LH2/LOX powered RD-0146D and allow Angara A5 to bring up to two tonnes more mass to GTO. The Blok D is being considered as an upper stage when launched from Vostochny since it will avoid the toxic propellant of the Briz-M.

Variants

From the left: Angara A5V, Proton M, Angara A5, Angara A5 and Angara 1.2 on MAKS 2021

Angara 1.2

The smallest Angara is the Angara 1.2, which consists of one URM-1 core and a modified Block I second stage. It has a lift-off mass of 171 tonnes and can deliver 3.8 tonnes of payload to a Template:Cvt × 60° orbit. The successful maiden launch of Angara 1.2 took place 29 April 2022.

Angara 1.2pp

A modified Angara 1.2, called Angara 1.2PP (Angara-1.2 pervyy polyot, meaning Angara-1.2 first flight), made Angara's inaugural suborbital flight on 9 July 2014. This flight lasted 22 minutes and carried a mass simulator weighing Template:Cvt. Angara 1.2PP weighed Template:Cvt and consisted of a URM-1 core stage and a partially fueled Template:Cvt-diameter URM-2, allowing each of the major components of Angara A5 to be flight tested before that version's first orbital launch, conducted on 23 December 2014.

Angara A5

The second Angara developed was the heavy lift launch vehicle, the Angara A5, which consists of one URM-1 core and four URM-1 boosters, a Template:Cvt URM-2 second stage, and an upper stage, either the Briz-M or the KVTK. Weighing 773 tonnes at lift-off, Angara A5 has a payload capacity of 24.5 tonnes to a Template:Cvt × 60° orbit. Angara A5 is able to deliver 5.4 tonnes to GTO with Briz-M, or 7.5 tonnes to the same orbit with KVTK.

In the Angara A5, the four URM-1s used as boosters operate at full thrust for approximately 214 seconds, then separate. The URM-1 forming the vehicle's core is operated at full thrust for lift off, then throttled down to 30% to conserve propellant. The core is throttled back up after the boosters have separated and continues burning for another 110 seconds.

The first Angara A5 test flight was launched on 23 December 2014. The second test flight was launched on 14 December 2020 from Plesetsk. A third test flight was launched on 27 December 2021, also from Plesetsk. However, the test of Persei upper stage failed and the payload did not make it from LEO to GEO.

Proposed versions

Angara 1.1

Initial plans called for an even smaller Angara 1.1 using a Briz-KM as a second stage, with a payload capacity of 2 tonnes. This version was cancelled as it fell into the same payload class as the Soyuz 2.1v, which made its debut flight in 2013.

Angara A3

The Angara A3 would consist of one URM-1 core, two URM-1 boosters, the 3.6m URM-2, and an optional Briz-M or hydrogen powered upper stage for high energy orbits. The hydrogen powered stage for this vehicle, called RCAF would be smaller than the Angara A5's KVTK. This vehicle has no current plans for use (14.6 tonnes to 200 km × 60°, 2.4 tonnes to GTO with Briz-M or 3.6 tonnes with a hydrogen upper stage), but could be developed as a replacement for Zenit.

Angara A5P

A5P

Khrunichev has proposed an Angara A5 capable of launching a new crewed spacecraft weighing up to 18 tonnes: the Angara 5P. This version would have 4 URM-1s as boosters surrounding a sustainer core URM-1 but lack a second stage, relying on the spacecraft to complete orbital insertion from a slightly suborbital trajectory, much like the Buran or Space Shuttle. This has the advantage of allowing all engines to be lit and checked out while on the ground, eliminating the possibility of an engine failing to start after staging. The RD-191 engines may also be operated at reduced thrust to improve safety.

Angara A5V

Khrunichev has proposed an upgraded Angara A5 variant featuring a new large hydrogen-based upper stage (URM-2V) to replace the existing URM-2, along with upgraded engine thrust on the URM-1 stages. The thrust upgrade on the URM-1 boosters would be approximately 10% higher during the first 40 seconds of flight, ensuring an adequate thrust-to-weight ratio even with the heavier URM-2V. Cross-feed, as well as more powerful RD-195 engines for the URM-1 stages, is also being considered. The payload capacity of the A5V is expected to be around 35–40 tonnes to LEO, depending on the final configuration.

Angara A7

Proposals exist for a heavier Angara A7, weighing 1133 tonnes and capable of putting 35 tonnes into a Template:Cvt × 60° orbit, or delivering 12.5 tonnes to GTO with an enlarged KVTK-A7 as a second stage in place of the URM-2. There are no current plans to develop this vehicle as it would require a larger core URM-1 to carry more propellant and would have to await the development of the hydrogen powered engine for KVTK. The Angara A7 would also require a different launch pad.

Angara-100

The Angara-100 was a 2005 proposal by Khrunichev to build a heavy-lift launch vehicle for NASA's Vision for Space Exploration. The rocket would consist of four RD-170-powered boosters, an RD-180-powered core stage, and a cryogenic upper stage using a modified Energia RD-0120 engine, the RD-0122. Its payload capacity to LEO would be in excess of 100 tons.

Baikal

Together with NPO Molniya, Khrunichev has also proposed a reusable URM-1 booster named Baikal. The URM-1 would be fitted with a wing, an empennage, a landing gear, a return flight engine and attitude control thrusters, to enable the rocket booster to return to an airfield after completing its mission.

Specifications

Version	Angara 1.1	Angara 1.2	Angara A3	Angara A5	Angara A5P	Angara A5V	Angara A7	Angara A7.2B
Status	Cancelled	Active	Template:Planned	Active	Template:Planned	Template:Planned	Template:Planned	Template:Planned
Boosters	—Template:Screen reader-only	—Template:Screen reader-only	2Template:Nnbsp×Template:NnbspURM-1	4Template:Nnbsp×Template:NnbspURM-1			6Template:Nnbsp×Template:NnbspURM-1	6Template:Nnbsp×Template:NnbspURM-1
First stage	URM-1
Second stage	Briz-KM	URM-2			—Template:Screen reader-only	URM-2V	KVTK-A7	URM-2
Third stage (optional)	—Template:Screen reader-only	—Template:Screen reader-only	Briz-M RCAF	Briz-M Blok DM-03 KVTK	—Template:Screen reader-only	Blok DM-03 KVTK	—Template:Screen reader-only	KVTK2-А7В
Thrust (at sea level)	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	?
Launch weight	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
Height (max.)	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	?	?	?	Template:Cvt
Payload (LEO 200 km)	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
Payload (GTO)	—Template:Screen reader-only	—Template:Screen reader-only	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	—Template:Screen reader-only	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
Payload (GEO)	—Template:Screen reader-only	—Template:Screen reader-only	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	—Template:Screen reader-only	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt

Testing and manufacturing

The production of the Universal Rocket Modules and the Briz-M upper stages will take place at the Khrunichev subsidiary Production Corporation Polyot in Omsk. In 2009, Polyot invested over 771.4 million RUB (about US$25 million) in Angara production lines. Design and testing of the RD-191 engine was done by NPO Energomash, while its mass production will take place at the company Proton-PM in Perm, Russia.

Launches

Facilities

Angara will primarily be launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Beginning in 2020, as of 2014, plans called for it to also be launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. This would have allowed the phase out of Proton, a rocket whose operation at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan has been objected to due to its use of large amounts of highly toxic UDMH and N₂O₄ and reliability issues.Template:Update inline span

Launch history

Date/time (UTC)		Configuration	Serial number	Launch pad	Outcome
		Payload	Separation orbit	Operator	Function
		Remarks
9 July 2014 12:00 UTC		Angara 1.2PP	71601	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 35	Success
		Template:Cvt mass simulator	Suborbital	Roscosmos	Suborbital test flight
		Non-standard Angara 1.2PP allowed flight testing of both URM-1 and URM-2
23 December 2014 05:57 UTC		Angara A5 / Briz-M	71751	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 35	Success
		Template:Cvt mass simulator (MGM n°1)	Low Earth orbit	Roscosmos	Orbital test flight No.1
		Maiden flight of Angara A5, mass simulator intentionally not separated from Briz-M upper stage
14 December 2020 05:50 UTC		Angara A5 / Briz-M	71752	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 35/1	Success
		Template:Cvt mass simulator (MGM n°2)	Geosynchronous	Roscosmos	Orbital test flight No.2
		Second orbital test flight
27 December 2021 19:00:00 UTC		Angara A5 / Persei	71753	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 35/1	Partial Failure
		Template:Cvt mass simulator (MGM n°3)	Geocentric supersynchronous	Ministry of Defence	Orbital test flight No.3
		First flight test of the Persei upper stage, a Blok DM-03 upper stage variant for Angara. Last of the three demonstration flights planned. Upper stage failed to restart for 2nd burn, leaving upper stage and payload in low Earth orbit. They decayed from orbit in a fortnight.
29 April 2022 19:55:22		Angara 1.2	71602	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 35/1	Failure of Kosmos-2555 to reach stable orbit
		EO MKA №2 (Kosmos-2555)	SSO	VKS	Reconnaissance
		Maiden flight of Angara 1.2. No orbit-raising activities were detected from Kosmos-2555 following deployment, indicating a possible spacecraft failure. Re-entered May 18, 2022 after not making any attempt to raise its orbit.
15 October 2022 19:55:15		Angara 1.2	71603	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 35/1	Success
		EO MKA №3 (Kosmos-2560)	SSO	VKS	Reconnaissance
		Kosmos 2560 decayed from orbit 10 Dec 2022 01:54 UTC, also quite soon after launch. Some suspect this was due to spacecraft failure.
11 April 2024 09:00		Angara A5 / Orion		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	Success
		No Payload(Mass simulator)	GEO	Roscosmos	Orbital test flight No.4
		First flight of the Angara A5 from Vostochny Cosmodrome (Vostochny Angara Test Flight).
17 September 2024 07:01		Angara 1.2	71604	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 35/1	Success
		Kosmos-2577 Kosmos-2578	SSO	VKS	Reconnaissance
16 March 2025 10:50		Angara 1.2	71605	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 35/1	Success
		Kosmos-2585 Kosmos-2586 Kosmos-2587	LEO	VKS	Communications
19 June 2025 03:00		Angara A5 / Briz-M	71754	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 35/1	Success
		Kosmos 2589 (14F166A)	GEO	VKS	Classified
21 August 2025 09:32		Angara 1.2	71606	Plesetsk, Site 35/1	Success
		Kosmos-2591 (OO MKA №3) Kosmos-2592 (OO MKA №4) Kosmos-2593 (OO MKA №5) Kosmos-2594 (OO MKA №6)	SSO	VKS	Reconnaissance
25 November 2025 13:42		Angara 1.2	71607	Plesetsk, Site 35/1	Success
		Kosmos-2597 (Strela-3M №22) Kosmos-2598 (Strela-3M №23) Kosmos-2599 (Strela-3M №24)	LEO	VKS	Military communications
23 April 2026 08:29		Angara 1.2	71608	Plesetsk, Site 35/1	Success
		Unknown Kosmos satellite	LEO	VKS	Military communications
Future Launches
2028		Angara A5		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Orel	LEO	Roscosmos	Space capsule
		Uncrewed test launch of Orel spacecraft. First launch of Angara A5 from Vostochny.
2028		Angara A5P		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Orel	LEO	Roscosmos	Space capsule
		Uncrewed test launch of Orel to the International Space Station. First flight of the Angara A5P, a crew-rated variant of the Angara A5.
2028		Angara A5P		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Orel	LEO	Roscosmos	Space capsule
		Crewed test launch of Orel to the International Space Station.
2029		Angara A5		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Luna 27A	Selenocentric	Roscosmos	Lunar lander
		Third mission of Luna-Glob Programme.
NET 2029		Angara A5P		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Orel	LEO	Roscosmos	Space capsule
		Crewed Orel flight test.
2030		Angara A5		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Luna 27B	Selenocentric	Roscosmos	Lunar lander
		Fourth mission of Luna-Glob Programme.
NET 2030		Angara A5P		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Orel	LEO	Roscosmos	Space capsule
		Crewed Orel flight test.
2031		Angara A5M / DM-03		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Spektr-UV	IGSO	Roscosmos	Ultraviolet space telescope
2032		Angara A5		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Luna 29	Selenocentric	Roscosmos	Lunar orbiter
		Fifth mission of Luna-Glob Programme.
2034		Angara A5 / DM-03		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Luna 28	Selenocentric	Roscosmos	Lunar lander / Lunar sample return
		Lunar sample-return mission.
2035		Angara A5V		Vostochny Cosmodrome, Site 1A	TBD
		Spektr-M	Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange Point	Roscosmos	Millimeter wavelength space telescope

Related projects

The South Korean launch vehicle Naro-1 used a first stage derived from Angara's URM-1 (fitted with a lower-thrust version of the RD-191 engine called RD-151). The vehicle made its first flight on 25 August 2009. The flight was not successful, but the first stage operated as expected. A second launch on 10 June 2010 ended in failure, when contact with the rocket was lost 136 seconds after launch. The Joint Failure Review Board failed to come to a consensus on the cause of the failure. The third flight on 30 January 2013 successfully reached orbit.

See also

• Comparison of orbital launchers families
• Comparison of orbital launch systems

External links

• «Ангара» с омским паспортом
• Angara family page by the Khrunichev Center (in Russian)
• Angara family, at Encyclopedia Astronautica
• Angara family, at RussianSpaceWeb