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Construction of launch pad for Angara rocket to begin in 2019 — source

The first launch site at the Vostochny space center was built in 2012-2016 for Soyuz rockets and the first launch from it was carried out on April 28, 2016

MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. The construction of a launch pad for Russia’s heavy Angara-A5 carrier rocket at the Vostochny space center in Russia’s Far East would begin in 2019, a source in Russia’s rocket and space industry has told TASS.

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Russian space firm to build 2nd Angara-5 heavy carrier rocket by April 2019

"Full-scale work on the construction of the Angara launch pad will begin already in 2019. Right now, various preparatory works are being carried out," the source said.

Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos earlier said the construction proceeds in line with a state contract with the Kazan construction company to build the second stage of the Vostochny cosmodrome. The document’s signing was announced on October 3. According to earlier reports, the construction of the launch pad for Angara is expected to be completed before December 31, 2022 and will cost almost 39 billion rubles (about $580 million). The launch pad will allow performing 10 blastoffs annually.

"All construction works, envisaged by this contract, are being carried out in accordance with the schedule," Roscosmos said.

The first launch site at the Vostochny space center was built in 2012-2016 for Soyuz rockets and the first launch from it was carried out on April 28, 2016.

The Angara rocket system is intended for launches of environmentally-friendly carrier rockets of various classes. The Angara family includes Angara-1.2 light rockets, Angara-A3 medium launchers and Angara-A5 heavy carriers (the Angara-A5M as their modification) and Angara-A5V rockets with the increased lifting capacity. So far, only two launches have taken place: Angara-1.2PP was launched in July 2014, Angara-A5 - in December 2014.

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