Russia Abandons Angara-A3 Medium-Class Rocket Project

The production of Russia's medium-class Angara-A3 launch vehicle is not currently planned. This was announced by First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov in an interview with Kommersant. Ixbt.com reports this.

According to him, the Angara-A3 variant was previously considered, but the main focus is now on the Soyuz-5 rocket, which has completed its first test flight. The Angara family includes light and heavy-class launch vehicles and uses environmentally friendly fuel components.

It is worth noting that in 2021, former Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin stated that the Angara-A3 could be produced. However, Manturov emphasized that this project is currently not on the agenda.

According to plans, the Angara-A3 was supposed to deliver 14–17 tons of payload to low Earth orbit and replace the renowned Ukrainian Zenit rocket. Meanwhile, the Soyuz-5 is equipped with the powerful liquid-fueled RD-171 engine and has a payload capacity of up to 18.5 tons.