Angara-1.2 - Kosmos 2555 (EO MKA#2) - Plesetsk - 29 April 2022 (19:55 UTC)

[Nicolas PILLET]

According to NK forum, the maiden flight of Angara-1.2 is scheduled for NET 20th December and the payload will be a satellite called MKA-R.

[Fmedici]

According to NK forum, the maiden flight of Angara-1.2 is scheduled for NET 20th December and the payload will be a satellite called MKA-R.

Didn't and Angara 1.2 already fly in 2014?

[Stan Black]

According to NK forum, the maiden flight of Angara-1.2 is scheduled for NET 20th December and the payload will be a satellite called MKA-R.

Didn't and Angara 1.2 already fly in 2014?

The original idea was for the Angara rockets to have a common upper stage, the URM2. You’ll notice the 2nd stage of that rocket in 2014 was wider than the 1st stage. Angara 1.2 rockets will feature a new upper stage design with a diameter similiar to the 1st stage.

[GWR64]

According to NK forum, the maiden flight of Angara-1.2 is scheduled for NET 20th December and the payload will be a satellite called MKA-R.

Didn't and Angara 1.2 already fly in 2014?

The original idea was for the Angara rockets to have a common upper stage, the URM2. You’ll notice the 2nd stage of that rocket in 2014 was wider than the 1st stage. Angara 1.2 rockets will feature a new upper stage design with a diameter similiar to the 1st stage.

The real Angara 1.2 also has the service module. This is a small 3rd stage similar to the Vega's AVUM.
However, with worse engines. The auxiliary engines of the Briz are used there as main engines.
Does not fit at all with the high-performance in stage 1 and 2.

[Nicolas PILLET]

The vehicle flown in July 2014 was Angara-1.2PP, which had a different second stage (URM-2 identical to the one on Angara-A5).

[zubenelgenubi]

According to NK forum, the maiden flight of Angara-1.2 is scheduled for NET 20th December and the payload will be a satellite called MKA-R.

Noting: There are 11 days between the NET launch dates of two Angara rockets from the same pad at Plesetsk. I suspect one or both dates are very NET.

Or, does this implicate a plan to demonstrate rapid turnaround of Angara launch operations?

Has the launch vehicle shipped to Plesetsk?

What is MKA-R?

(I suspect the launch campaign team prefers to launch spacecraft over bricks.)

[russianhalo117]

According to NK forum, the maiden flight of Angara-1.2 is scheduled for NET 20th December and the payload will be a satellite called MKA-R.

Noting: There are 11 days between the NET launch dates of two Angara rockets from the same pad at Plesetsk. I suspect one or both dates are very NET.

Or, does this implicate a plan to demonstrate rapid turnaround of Angara launch operations?

Has the launch vehicle shipped to Plesetsk?

What is MKA-R?

(I suspect the launch campaign team prefers to launch spacecraft over bricks.)

The Radar version of MKA-V et al?

EDIT: Corrected punctuation marking.

[B. Hendrickx]

The Radar version of MKA-V et al.

Any evidence this exists?

I would assume possible candidates are Razbeg (assuming Kosmos-2551 is EMKA-2) and the reconnaissance satellite that VNIIEM has built for Iran under Project 505 (which was said to be ready for launch this year). Actually, the Angara-1.2, which has a capacity of 2.2-2.5 tons to SSO from Plesetsk, should be capable of launching both of these together. But that probably takes us too far into the realm of speculation.

The only military payload that I've seen linked to Angara-1.2 in official documentation is 14F132/Rodnik. The project is suffering significant delays because many Western-built electronic components for its main payload (called 14R59) have to be replaced due to the sanctions. The switch from Rokot to Angara-1.2 may also play a role. The next trio of Rodnik satellites (nrs. 29, 30, 31, which together form "Block 17") is now scheduled for delivery to Plesetsk in August 2023. Satellites nr. 32, 33 and 34 (Block 18) should also have been manufactured by that time. See this court documentation released in July:

https://kad.arbitr.ru/Card/0076dc6c-d208-44f4-9de3-c110a90982cc

Note that there seems to be another Angara-1.2 with a military payload scheduled for launch no earlier than the first quarter of 2022.

 

[GWR64]

...

What is MKA-R?

...

The Radar version of MKA-V et al.

And what is MKA-V? I can only find MKA-N from Dauria. 

[Bean Kenobi]

...

What is MKA-R?

...

The Radar version of MKA-V et al.

And what is MKA-V? I can only find MKA-N from Dauria. 

B. Hendrickx said here it may be Razbeg.

As explained in the Cosmos-2525 thread, EMKA likely started out as a proposed civilian or dual civilian/military remote sensing satellite called Zvezda (“star”), which is mentioned in a handful of VNIIEM articles in 2014/2015.  One of those, published in VNIIEM’s in-house journal “Voprosy Elektromekhaniki” in 2014, described Zvezda as an experimental precursor of a small high-resolution imaging satellite called MKA-V  (MKA standing for “Small Satellite” and “V” for “high resolution”).

http://jurnal.vniiem.ru/text/141/17-22.pdf

As can be seen in the attached table from the article, MKA-V is somewhat larger and heavier than Zvezda (
90x100x160 cm vs. 90x70x140 cm and 250 kg vs. 150 kg),  but seems to have the same optical system (presumably produced by the Belarusian company OAO Peleng). MKA-V is also supposed to fly in a higher orbit than Zvezda (450 km vs. 300 km), which could at least partially explain the longer operational lifetime given in the table (5 years for MKA-V vs. 1 year for Zvezda). MKA-V is the box-shaped satellite seen below the table. It closely resembles the privately built US remote sensing satellite SkySat-1, data for which are also included in the table for comparison.

[GWR64]

Aha, I missed that. It's also on the EMKA-2 launch thread. Thank you.

[russianhalo117]

The Radar version of MKA-V et al.

Any evidence this exists?

I would assume possible candidates are Razbeg (assuming Kosmos-2551 is EMKA-2) and the reconnaissance satellite that VNIIEM has built for Iran under Project 505 (which was said to be ready for launch this year). Actually, the Angara-1.2, which has a capacity of 2.2-2.5 tons to SSO from Plesetsk, should be capable of launching both of these together. But that probably takes us too far into the realm of speculation.

The only military payload that I've seen linked to Angara-1.2 in official documentation is 14F132/Rodnik. The project is suffering significant delays because many Western-built electronic components for its main payload (called 14R59) have to be replaced due to the sanctions. The switch from Rokot to Angara-1.2 may also play a role. The next trio of Rodnik satellites (nrs. 29, 30, 31, which together form "Block 17") is now scheduled for delivery to Plesetsk in August 2023. Satellites nr. 32, 33 and 34 (Block 18) should also have been manufactured by that time. See this court documentation released in July:

https://kad.arbitr.ru/Card/0076dc6c-d208-44f4-9de3-c110a90982cc

Note that there seems to be another Angara-1.2 with a military payload scheduled for launch no earlier than the first quarter of 2022.

 

The period was meant to be a question mark. The R could also be an error/typo situation.

[GWR64]

Perhaps the "R" stands for Razbeg. We may never know the official name.
малый космический аппарат - разбег
MKA-R

[zubenelgenubi]

I deduce this launch is delayed into 2022.  The Angara-A5 launch scheduled to precede this launch is now NET late December, and there is only one Angara launch complex.
Cross-post:

https://tass.ru/kosmos/12612333
Google translate:

KOSMODROM Plessetsk / Arkhangelsk region /, October 8. / TASS /. Two launches of the Angara-A5 heavy carrier rocket and two launches of its light version are planned to be carried out from the Plesetsk cosmodrome next year, the  Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin reported to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
 "Next year, two launches of the light" Angara "and two launches of the" Angara-A5 "rocket - heavy - are planned in order to complete the tests and begin serial production of the" Angara "missiles to perform further tasks of military space," he reported to Shoigu, who on Friday checks the modernization of the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region.
 The commander-in-chief also noted that the Angara-A5 rocket is being assembled, the launch date will be set on December 20.
 "The assembly of this space rocket is underway. We plan to conduct comprehensive tests on October 18-24, and launch readiness checks from December 16 to December 21. We will be ready to report to you on the specific launch date of this rocket on December 20," Surovikin Shoigu said.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

NET Q2/Q3: https://forum.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/index.php?msg=2334979

[zubenelgenubi]

Anik at Russianspaceweb lists April 19 launch date.
Thanks for the FYI, RH117.

[Vahe231991]

Anik at Russianspaceweb lists April 19 launch date.
Thanks for the FYI, RH117.

Finally, an exact launch date for the first orbital launch of the Angara 1.2

[Nicolas PILLET]

There is no link with this launch, since the Angara-1.2 launcher is already in Moscow.

By the way, one of this rocket is 10671757.

[zubenelgenubi: I split/merged the previous post to the Angara thread.]

[russianhalo117]

The launch is now planned on April 27th Moscow Time due to first time related testing of the new configuration with two new stages at various facilities in Plesetsk in addition to the payload using the new processing complex.

https://russianspaceweb.com/2022.html

[Liss]

If the date is April 27 Moscow Time, this NOTAM may fit -- but a strange one.

A1511/22 NOTAMN
Q) KZAK/QRDCA////000/999/
A) KZAK
B) 2204262000
C) 2204272359
D) DLY 2000-2359
E) THE RUSSIAN FEDERAL SPACE AGENCY HAS PLANNED A MISSILE LAUNCH. DEBRIS FROM THIS LAUNCH WILL FALL WI AN AREA DEFINED AS:
IMPACT AREA 1. 1557N13239W TO 1545N13130W TO 1118N13219W TO 1130N13327W TPO.
IMPACT AREA 2. 4045N17413W TO 4022N17154W TO 3319N17351W TO 3341N17557W TPO.
IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY ALL NON-PARTICIPATING AIR TRAFFIC ARE ADZ TO AVOID THE NOTAMED AREA.IFR ACFT UNDER ATC JURISDICTION SHOULD ANTICIPATE CLR AROUND THE NOTAMED AREA.
F) SFC
G) UNL
CREATED: 16 Apr 2022 15:51:00
SOURCE: KZAK