posted 06-25-2014 07:33 PM               

After many delays, the first launch of the Angara rocket was set for June 27, 2014. The custom-built rocket designated Angara-1.2 Pervy Polyot (First Flight) or Angara-1.2PP will blast off from Russia's northern launch site in Plesetsk and carry a simulated cargo on a ballistic arc without reaching orbit.

posted 06-27-2014 08:29 AM               

"The automatic system aborted the launch during the countdown," said Alexander Golovko, commander of Russia's Air and Space Defence Forces.

posted 06-29-2014 05:35 PM               

On June 28, a poster on the Novosti Kosmonavtiki web forum reported that the rocket had already been removed from the launch pad at Site 35 and returned to the processing buidling at Site 142.

On June 30, Russian authorities again issued a warning to pilots to avoid areas around the Kura impact range on the Kamchatka Peninsula, indicating that another launch attempt was scheduled for July 1 and July 2, 2014. Given the short time available for repairs, it could indicate that only basic checks would be done on the rocket and its flight control system could be just reprogrammed to ignore the problem with the valve.

posted 07-01-2014 07:00 AM               

A spokesman from the Khrunichev Space Center, the prime contractor for the Angara rocket program, said that the State Commission — a body of officials that gives the final authorization for all major Russian space activities — will meet in the near future to look into the rocket's aborted launch, Interfax reported Monday.

The spokesman added that engineers are now checking a problem with the first stage propulsion system.

...media reports in the wake of Friday's failure suggested that there would be a second attempt on Saturday, but that launch window came and went, accompanied by even more silence from space officials.

An unidentified source told RIA Novosti that the rocket was being taken off of the launch pad that day for further investigation.

posted 07-07-2014 02:46 PM               

The first launch of the light-class Angara-1.2PP rocket was originally scheduled for June 25, but was postponed until June 27 due to the need to carry out additional tests. However, the maiden launch was automatically cancelled by the onboard control system. Later, a source in the space industry told RIA Novosti, that the State Commission decided to install a rocket on a launch pad on July 7. The preliminary launch date is July 9.

posted 07-09-2014 10:28 AM               

The Angara rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome near Arkhangelsk in Russia's far north and flew for 25 minutes on a sub-orbital ballistic trajectory before landing at the Kura test-range in the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.