MOSCOW, May 26 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Ministry of Defense and the State Space Center have signed a contract on completing the development and funding the flight tests of Angara launch vehicles until 2010.
"The contract provides for the completion of work to create a space rocket system in due time and the launch of Angara boosters from the cosmodrome," Alexander Medvedev, Director General of the Khrunichev Space Center, said.
The Angara missile family is the latest development of the Russian space industry. The engines consume liquid fuel, a mixture of kerosene and oxygen, and consequently, considered environmentally sound.
The Angara family consists of three types of rockets. Rockets of the first type, light, with carrying capacity of up to two tonnes, are intended for launching small telecommunication satellites. Twice as heavy satellites are put into orbit by boosters of the second type. Rockets of the third type are capable of carrying over 20 tonnes.
The Angara rocket system has been developed by the president's order of 1995. The first payload launch of the Angara-5 booster will be carried out in late 2006 on the Russian government's order.
Angara was created to secure Russia's access to space from the Plesetsk cosmodrome (the north-west of Russia) and provide for the country's independence in space activity, no matter how military-political and economic relations with other countries might develop.
Meanwhile, in December 2004 Russia and Kazakhstan reached agreement on developing and jointly using the Baiterek rocket system at the Baikonur cosmodrome. This supposes the creation of launching and technical facilities for Angara.
International Launch Services (ILS), a joint venture of the Khrunichev Space Center and the American Lockheed Martin firm, is in charge of marketing and contracting on Angara lunching services.
