It would be an understatement to say that Angara's development time has been... protracted. The first plans materialized in 1992, but Proton's success beyond Russian borders led to developers putting development on the backburner. The first test flight failed in 2009, and the first successful tests didn't come until 2014. The Angara rocket family won't have its first official flight until 2019. It's still taking baby steps toward full service 26 years after work began, and there aren't any hints that its developers are picking up the pace.

When Angara does replace Proton, you'll likely hear a sigh of relief from Kazakhstan. The country has criticized Russia for using such a hazardous rocket at the Baikonur space facility, and Angara (which uses safer liquid oxygen and refined petroleum) should have a considerably reduced impact. As it stands, Russia's rocket program could stand some freshening up when newer western rockets like SpaceX's Falcon series and the ESA's Vega are pushing technological boundaries.