The project of the Angara A5B heavy launch vehicle approved, which will deliver the Russians to the moon

On April 12, the scientific and technical council of Roscosmos approved the ambitious project of the Angara A5B heavy-class launch vehicle. The purpose of the creation of this rocket is to deliver Russian astronauts to the moon in the region of 2030-2035.

According to the schedule compiled by Roscosmos, the first test flight of the Angara A5B will take place in 2026 (previously planned for 2023).

The launch vehicle carrying capacity is 38 tons of payload when it is placed in a low earth orbit (200 km), using an upper stage with an oxygen-hydrogen stage. The use of oxygen-hydrogen fuel instead of oxygen-kerosene in the third stage raises the load capacity by 10 tons at once .
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For comparison, the American Saturn-5 carrying capacity was 141 tons, and the future SLS - from 70 to 130 tons. However, the Angara A5B is the most powerful space machine that Russia is going to build in the next 15 years.

With such a relatively low payload, Russia's lunar expedition will follow a rather complicated scheme in four stages.

1. Launch of the lunar landing module and inter-orbital tug.
2. The launch of the second inter-orbital tug into orbit (it is attached to the landing module and is sent to the Moon).
3. Launch of the main spacecraft with the crew into orbit.
4. Launch of the third inter-orbital tug into orbit.

For the lunar settlement of Russians, enthusiasts from Skolkovo offer Mount Malapert near the South Pole and in direct line of sight of the Earth. Night comes there only a few times a year and lasts 3-6 days.

In reality, the place will be chosen on the basis of the study of the regolith by the Luna-26 station.

Before the start of the mission a number of tests are planned:

1. Unmanned test launch of the new Federation spacecraft.
2. Flight of a spacecraft with a crew into the orbit of the moon.
3. Flight to the lunar orbit with the lunar take-off and landing complex (LVPC) with sending it to the lunar surface without a crew.

To carry out test launches of the Angara A5B and a manned expedition to the moon , the Vostochny cosmodrome is being prepared .

The project of the Angara A5B launch vehicle will soon be approved by President Putin himself. According to the state press , the tradition of approval by top officials of the most ambitious space projects exists in other countries: US President John F. Kennedy ordered the start of the lunar program in 1961, and Barack Obama decided in 2010 to close NASA - Constellation program, - the ultimate goal of which was a flight to mars.