Russia to test new Angara booster rocket in June 2014

Proton-M booster rockets will remain in operation until 2025. From 2015 to 2025, Russia is to build from 110 to 130 new Proton-M rockets. Proton-M is assembled at the State Research and Production Space Center named after Khrunichev. To date, Russia has made 82 launches of Proton-M, of which 74 were successful.

Former head of the Federal Space Agency Vladimir Popovkin (he took this position before the fall of 2013) stated that Russia would use Proton-M booster only before 2020 and then switch to a new family of rockets called Angara. The first test launch of an Angara rocket is scheduled for the end of June 2014.

On May 16, 2014, a Proton-M rocket with Express AM4R communications satellite on board was launched from Baikonur spaceport. During the flight, the engine of the rocket was shutdown, and the head unit did not separate from the rocket. According to one of the versions, the accident occurred due to the failure of the steering engine of the third stage of the rocket.