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Arianespace and Roscosmos set to launch seven Soyuz spaceships from Kourou

It is joint programme of Russia’s federal space agency Roscosmos and France’s Arianespace, world-leading supplier of commercial launch services, for 2016-2019

A Soyuz rocket launch from Kourou Spaceport (archive) EPA/STEPHANE CORVAJA/ESA/HANDOUT

A Soyuz rocket launch from Kourou Spaceport (archive)

© EPA/STEPHANE CORVAJA/ESA/HANDOUT

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PARIS, March 25. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia will deliver seven Soyuz spaceships for the launch from Kourou in French Guiana.

The relevant agreement was fixed in a joint programme of Russia’s federal space agency Roscosmos and France’s Arianespace, the world-leading supplier of commercial launch services, for 2016-2019, source told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

“In general, the agreement has already been initialled. At present, some details have to be finalized,” the source said.

“The talks have been underway for more than a year and their participants have no intention to abandon the goals they have set. The sides consciously did not mix politics and space research,” the source said, reminding of the situation around Ukraine.

“It is not ruled out that the dates will be corrected,” the source said, adding that initially it was planned to sign the document in April.

The first launch of a Soyuz spacecraft from the Kourou launch site took place in autumn 2011. Four launches are scheduled for 2014. On April 4, a Soyuz-St rocket will take into space Sentinel-1A, an Earth observation satellite, from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana.

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