President Vladimir oversees successful rocket launch.

President Vladimir Putin on
Tuesday oversaw the successful
test-launch of Russia’s newest
heavy-class Angara rocket, a rare
piece of good news in a week
dominated by the economic crisis.
The president oversaw by video
link the launch of the Angara-A5
from Plesetsk in northern Russia
at 0557 GMT, saying the new
rocket would allow the country
better protection.
“Indeed, for our space industry and
I suppose for the whole of Russia
this is a major, very important
event,” Putin said from the
Kremlin.
“Russia remains one of the
internationally recognized leaders
in space exploration.”
Putin said that Russia will over the
next five years conduct a series of
test-launches for the Angara —
which is designed for civilian and
military use, including the launch
of manned spacecraft.
The Kremlin said the Angara —
named after a Siberian river
flowing out of Lake Baikal — was
expected to launch a payload of
two tonnes into space.
A locomotive pulled the huge white
rocket out of a hangar in footage
released by the defence ministry,
with personnel bundled up against
the cold.