MOSCOW, July 7 (RIA Novosti) — Russia’s new eco-friendly light class Angara-1. 2PP rocket has been installed on the launch pad of Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia’s Arkhangelsk Region, a source in the space industry told RIA Novosti Monday.
““Angara” has been rolled out from the testing facility to a launch pad. The erection of the rocket is expected to take place in the middle of a day,” the source said.
The first launch of the light-class Angara-1.2PP rocket was originally scheduled for June 25, but was postponed until June 27 due to the need to carry out additional tests. However, the maiden launch was automatically cancelled by the onboard control system. Later, a source in the space industry told RIA Novosti, that the State Commission decided to install a rocket on a launch pad on July 7. The preliminary launch date is July 9.
“Angara” rockets are powered by engines using so-called green fuels that provide ecological safety near the spaceport, as well as in the areas where separating parts of the rocket fall.
The Angara family of rockets is built in light, semi-heavy and heavy versions to lift a variety of payloads between 1.5 and 35 tons. The launch of the heavy class “Angara” rocket is scheduled for the end of 2014 and the first manned mission is expected to take place in 2018.
