Russia's newest ecologically friendly heavy-class Angara-A5 carrier rocket has been launched from the Plesetsk Space Complex in the country's northwest, a source in the space industry told RIA Novosti on Tuesday. Later, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu confirmed the successful launch in a phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Defense Ministry said. The Angara family of space-launch vehicles is designed to provide lifting capabilities of between 2,000 and 40,500 kilograms (4,400 - 89,300 pounds) into low Earth orbit. It has been in development since 1995. Russian Space Agency Roscosmos said that new Angara rocket would give Russia independent access to the space, and a possibility to advance to a new technological development level. Angara will put heavy space vehicles into the geostationary orbit. All parts used for rocket development have been produced in Russia. Apart from the above, ecologically clean fuel will be used in the rocket, including oxygen and kerosene. Angara, the largest rocket ever launched from Plesetsk launch pad, weighs 773 tons. The family of Angara rockets includes light-, medium- and heavy-lift launch vehicles. Angara is designed to complement Russia's Soyuz rocket, currently the only vehicle in the world capable of taking astronauts to the International Space Station. The heavy Angara will replace the Proton rocket family, which was previously used to put space vehicles into low Earth orbit. Flight tests for Angara began on July 9, when the light-lift launch vehicle Angara-1.2PP was successfully launched after it had been postponed several times due to additional testing. Angara-A5 will be launched from both the Plesetsk Cosmodrome and from the Vostochny launch pad in the Amur region currently under construction. The first manned flight of the Angara 5 is set for 2018, to be launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Source: Sputnik News