Why is it in the news?

• Russia achieved a successful test launch of its Angara-A5 space rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

 More about the news

• The Angara-A5 is a Russian space rocket developed to replace the Proton M as Russia’s heavy-lift launch vehicle.
• It measures 42.7 meters in length and consists of three stages. With a weight of approximately 773 tonnes, it can carry payloads of up to 24.5 tonnes into space.
• The Angara project began after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It aimed to create a domestically-produced launch vehicle to ensure Russia’s access to space independently of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which it leases from Kazakhstan.
• The first test flight of the Angara-A5 occurred in 2014, followed by another in 2020, both launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.
• In 2021, a partial test of the Angara-A5 resulted in failure.