Angara A5

Angara A5
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Name	Angara A5
Caption	Angara A5 on launchpad
Country	Russia
Manufacturer	Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Function	Heavy-lift launch vehicle
Height	55.0 m
Diameter	2.9 m (core), 4.35 m (URM-2)
Mass	~773,000 kg (fully fueled)
Stages	3 (modular URM boosters)
Status	Operational
First	2014-07-09

Angara A5 is a Russian heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle developed to replace several legacy Proton and Soyuz variants and to provide a modular architecture for low Earth orbit and geostationary transfer missions. Designed and produced by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, the vehicle is derived from the universal rocket module (URM) concept and uses modular boosters and a hydrogen-oxygen upper stage to accommodate a range of Roscosmos mission profiles. The program reflects strategic industrial shifts involving facilities in Moscow Oblast, Kovrov, and the new Vostochny Cosmodrome infrastructure.

Development

Development began in the late 1990s within design bureaus including Khrunichev, with programmatic oversight from Roscosmos and involvement from subcontractors such as NPO Energomash and Keldysh Research Center. The design evolved amid competition with legacy systems like Proton-M and international vehicles such as the Ariane 5 and Delta IV Heavy, with technology inputs from projects at TsAMO and manufacturing changes at OAO Polyot. Political drivers included reduced reliance on Baikonur Cosmodrome facilities and integration with new launch sites like Plesetsk Cosmodrome and Vostochny Cosmodrome. Test and qualification campaigns included static-fire tests at Plesetsk test stands and upper-stage hot-fire trials at facilities associated with NPO Energomash and Tikhomirov NIIP instrumentation teams. Early flights involved partnerships with entities managing payload integration such as Khrunichev Space Center and contractors previously tied to Sukhoi and Tupolev manufacturing networks.

Design and specifications

The core architecture uses multiple Universal Rocket Module (URM) boosters based on the single-engine URM-1 first stage, powered by an RD-191 engine developed by NPO Energomash; the URM-2 second stage employs a single RD-0124A staged-combustion engine derived from work at Keldysh Research Center and TsSKB-Progress design legacy. The first stage cluster typically comprises one central URM and four strap-on URM boosters, providing thrust comparable to heavy-lift vehicles like Long March 5 and Atlas V. Propellants include RP-1 and liquid oxygen for URM-1 and liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen for URM-2, reflecting cryogenic technology advanced at Khrunichev and NPO Energomash. Gross lift capacity to low Earth orbit rivals systems used by agencies such as European Space Agency and NASA, while geostationary transfer capability is achieved using upper stage combinations and payload fairings developed by Chemical Automatics Design Bureau subcontractors. Avionics and flight control systems incorporate avionics heritage from KTRV and navigation inputs compatible with GLONASS and inertial systems evolved from TsNIIHM work.

Launch history

The maiden flight took place from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in 2014, following a series of ground tests and suborbital trials; later operational launches have used both Plesetsk Cosmodrome and the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Flights have carried a mix of test payloads, operational spacecraft, and qualification masses with outcomes influencing manifest decisions by Roscosmos and commercial customers such as Gazprom Space Systems and state institutes including Russian Academy of Sciences. Launch campaigns referenced outcomes from earlier Russian programs like Proton-M and informed procurement choices by ministries previously coordinating with Ministry of Defence programs. International attention compared each mission to contemporary efforts by SpaceX and Blue Origin in terms of reliability, cost, and cadence. Incremental improvements after early launches addressed engine performance, telemetry links with ground stations at Svalbard Satellite Station and Kiruna, and upper-stage restart capabilities tested against mission profiles used by Intelsat and national communications providers.

Payloads and mission profile

A5 missions support a range of payloads including large communications satellites, scientific observatories, resupply and cargo architectures related to International Space Station logistics, and classified payloads for agencies akin to Russian Aerospace Forces tasking. Payload fairings and adapter rings were developed to host satellites from manufacturers such as ISS Reshetnev and Lavochkin Association, while dual-payload stacking options reflect heritage from Proton-M Breeze-M payload practices. Typical mission profiles insert payloads into low Earth orbit or geostationary transfer orbit using upper-stage burns and multiple restart sequences, with mission planning coordinated by providers like Glavkosmos and ground operations using tracking from networks linked to Eurocontrol-adjacent telemetry hubs. Secondary payloads have included small satellites built by institutions like Skolkovo Foundation-affiliated startups and university consortia from Moscow State University and Bauman Moscow State Technical University.

Production and operators

Production lines at Khrunichev facilities and subcontractor plants in Samara Oblast and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast manufacture URM components, with engine production at NPO Energomash sites in Dzerzhinsk and fuel-system components from firms in Perm Krai. Primary operator and mission integrator is Roscosmos State Corporation through subsidiaries and affiliates including Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and commercial launch services managed by Glavkosmos. International collaboration and export prospects were discussed with entities like Arianespace-adjacent planners and satellite operators including SES and Eutelsat, though export controls and industrial policy have shaped market access. Workforce and supplier networks draw on legacy aerospace talent from institutions such as Moscow Aviation Institute and research inputs from Russian Academy of Sciences institutes focused on propulsion and materials.

Category:Russian rockets