Russia's Angara A5 rocket launch was aborted. A setback for a fading space dream

The launch of the Angara A5 rocket, scheduled for April 9 from the Vostochny Cosmodrome located in the forests of the Amur region, was aborted less than two minutes before liftoff. This article delves into the performance of what is often seen as the outdated hope of the Russian space program.

The launch, broadcast live on The Launch Pad channel, was interrupted during the final moments of the countdown. Unfortunately, the reasons remain unclear, but Reuters reported that the launch will likely be delayed by at least 24 hours.

The Angara program started in the 1990s and represents Russia's most significant initiative since the Soviet Union's dissolution. It aims to replace the Soyuz rockets, the highly hazardous Proton rockets that burn extremely toxic fuel, and the smaller Ukrainian Dnepr and Rokot rockets. Despite its 30-year duration, the program has only seen six launches.

The Angara rockets are designed as a modular system adaptable to various payloads. This system's core is a universal rocket module, URM, powered by the RD-191 engine. This module delivers a thrust of approximately 1.92 million Newtons at sea level and 2.09 million Newtons in a vacuum.

Depending on the payload, the configuration can include one or five modules. The maximum capacity for low-earth orbit payloads is just over 24 metric tonnes, and for geostationary orbit, around 16,500 pounds.

However, it's essential to point out that with the rise of the American company SpaceX, Russia's status as an economical provider of satellite launches is being challenged. The Angara program, which had its inaugural launch in December 2014, is intended to address this issue.

Meanwhile, the canceled launch was supposed to be the fourth test mission conducted from the relatively new Vostochny Cosmodrome, which has been operational only since 2016. The previous three Angara launches were from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.