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Medvedev: Russia must do everything to keep its status of space power

The Russian premier made this statement at a meeting on preparations for building facilities of the 2nd stage of the Vostochny spaceport in the Far East

© Dmitry Astakhov/Russian Government Press Office/TASS

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GORKI, October 19. /TASS/. Russia values its status of a space power and must do everything possible to keep it, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday.

The Russian premier made this statement at a meeting on preparations for building facilities of the 2nd stage of the Vostochny spaceport in the Far East.

"This [the Vostochny spaceport construction] is, indeed, large-scale and complex work rather than simply the construction site of the most complex engineering hi-tech facility. For understandable reasons, this is a guarantee that Russia will keep the status of a leading space power in the coming years," the premier said.

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"We appreciate this status and would like to do everything to ensure that our country keeps this status," Medvedev said.

Currently, work is nearing completion to put the facilities of the launch compound into operation at the Vostochny spaceport. These efforts allowed making the first launch of the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with three satellites as a payload in April this year.

The Russian premier said that the launch of another two similar carrier rockets was planned for next year.

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First rocket launch from Russia's Far Eastern Vostochny spaceport

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