The Russian space agency Roscosmos conducted a successful orbital test launch of its new Angara A5 heavy-lift rocket, helping to open a new chapter of spaceflight for the nation.
The Angara A5 lifted off April 11 on its fourth orbital test launch, and its first from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's far east. The 179-foot-tall (54.5 meters) rocket is produced entirely from Russian components and uses a more environmentally friendly fuel than the nation's previous heavy-lift rocket, the Proton-M.
