Angara heavy booster is to be forwarded to Plesetsk cosmodrome by late 2013, – Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Rogozin stated.
“In the night from May 27 to May 28, 2013 light Angara booster was sent to Plesetsk, it arrived on May 31, 2013 and now the installation works are under way as well as the works on heavy Angara booster in Khrunichev center. Heavy Angara is to be sent to Plesetsk by the end of this year” – Rogozin said at the meeting of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev with ministers. Rogozin also stated that there are some problems with ground infrastructure.
“Nevertheless the works are under way at the moment and the rate of the work and the information we get from federal Space Agency assure us that the gap will be closed in 1,5 month. The schedule is agreed upon with contractors. We keep it under control”, – Rogozin added.
Earlier “Salut” design bureau Chief Designer Yuri Bakhvalov ( “Salut” is a part of Khrunichev research Center) reported that Angara heavy booster is to be sent to Plesetsk in November this year. According to him new Angara-5 heavy booster will be launched both from Plesetsk and from new Vostochny cosmodrome in Amur region that is under construction now. Bakhvalov pointed out modularity principle that enables to construct boosters of light, middle, heavy and super heavy class being one of the main Angara advantages apart from ecological one.
Alexander Seliverstov Khrunichev Center Director General reported earlier that the first test launch of new Angara-5 heavy booster is planned for late November 2014.