Roscosmos has announced the completion of the fourth stage of comprehensive testing of the universal technical complex of the Angara rocket at the Vostochny Cosmodrome. This stage included the placement of the rocket blocks, called Angara-NZh, on technological farms for storage in a warehouse.
According to the state corporation, in the future, "the model will be used for comprehensive testing for the manned program."
Earlier in mid-August, it was announced that Russia had begun serial production of Angara launch vehicles. To develop the Russian space program, at least eight of them need to be produced per year.
Angara-NZh
A special full-size, ground-based liquid model of the Angara rocket with the same mass as the original. It is a complete copy of the Russian Angara-A5 rocket.
It was on this model that all pre-flight checks of the first heavy Angara-A5 were carried out at Vostochny: from delivery to the cosmodrome to autonomous and comprehensive tests, assembly into a "package", removal to the launch complex, installation during the testing stages on the launch pad.
This is how Russia decided to avoid risks when carrying out all important procedures only with the flight model of the rocket. For the Angara family, a separate launch complex was built from scratch in five years at Vostochny, which was tested using the Angara-NZh. Following the tests, the launch and certification of the Amur space rocket complex at the Vostochny Cosmodrome were successful.
The full-size model was created by specialists from the Khrunichev State Space Research and Production Center. All systems involved in refueling and preparation at the launch complex are made fully functional in the Angara-NZh.
That is, before sending the Russian heavy Angara A-5 rocket on its first flight, not only electrical tests, for example, but also full refueling with liquid oxygen and naphthyl were tested on the model.
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