Roscosmos reports start of 2nd phase of launch pad tests for Angara-A5 heavy lift rocket at Vostochny Cosmodrome

MOSCOW. Feb 12 (Interfax) - The second phase of comprehensive tests of a launch pad for an Angara-A5 heavy-lift rocket has started at Vostochny Cosmodrome and should continue for over a month, Russia's Roscosmos state space corporation said on Monday.

"At the crew's ceremonial parade, the deputy commander of the launch complex announced a directive on transferring the complex from the state of operational readiness to readiness for operating a space rocket," it said.

Following the parade, "the operations managers conducted briefings for the crew and set tasks for the second phase of the comprehensive tests, which will last for more than a month," it said.

An electric fueling mockup called the Angara-NZh successfully completed comprehensive tests at the cosmodrome on December 11, 2023.

Roscosmos said on January 9, 2024 that the first flight-capable Angara-A5 launch vehicle had been delivered to Vostochny Cosmodrome for development flight tests.

Roscosmos CEO Yury Borisov said on January 23 that the first launch of an Angara-A5 launch vehicle from Vostochny Cosmodrome was planned for early April.

Angara is a family of Russian modular rockets with oxygen-kerosene engines based on universal rocket modules (URM), ranging from light to heavy versions. The rocket's lift capacity varies from 3.5 tonnes (for the Angara 1.2) to 38 tonnes (for the Angara A5V) delivered to low-Earth orbit.