Posted 3/7/2024, 1:33:24 AM
Russia's Long-Delayed Angara Rocket Faces Uncertain Future After 30 Years in Development
- Russia's Angara A5 rocket is 3 decades in development but has only flown 3 test flights, all with dummy payloads
- Angara was meant to replace the Proton rocket but there is little commercial demand, even from the Russian government
- The upcoming 4th test flight will be the first Angara launch from Russia's new Vostochny spaceport
- The Angara program has suffered from chronic underfunding, mismanagement, and corruption
- The new Orion upper stage is an upgraded version of a 1960s-era design, showing Russia's outdated space technology