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Russia to complete 1st stage of Vostochny spaceport construction in 2018

The first stage of the Vostochny spaceport comprises 19 facilities

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

ST. PETERSBURG, June 2. /TASS/. The construction of the first stage of the Vostochny spaceport in the Russian Far East to create infrastructure for Soyuz-2 carrier rocket launches will be completed in 2018, CEO of the Center for Ground-based Space Infrastructure Operation Rano Dzhurayeva told TASS on Friday.

"As a whole, the facility will be put into operation only in 2018. But with regard to our part of the contract, we’ll finish our work before the end of the year, before launches. At least our schedules are aimed precisely at this result," the chief executive said in an interview with TASS at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

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As Dzhurayeva explained, the first stage of the Vostochny spaceport comprises 19 facilities.

"Eleven facilities were built by Dalspetsstroy [the Federal Special Construction Agency]. Unfortunately, there are delays in the construction schedule of many facilities and that is why Roscosmos [the State Space Corporation] has decided to primarily complete the construction of three basic facilities - the launch installation, the technical compound and water intake facilities. A decision was made precisely on these areas to sever contracts with Dalspetsstroy and transfer them to the Center for Ground-based Space Infrastructure Operation as we know better what has to be built to launch rockets in a normal mode," the chief executive said.

The construction schedules have been drawn up in a way to complete the construction of these three facilities for the two launches of Soyuz carrier rockets from the Vostochny cosmodrome in December this year, she said.

The launch pad for the Angara carrier rocket at the Vostochny spaceport and the required infrastructure will be built by 2021, Dzhurayeva said.

"The designing [of the infrastructure for the Angara rocket at the Vostochny space center] has been completed. This documentation has now been sent to the State Expert Study Committee. Further on, a general contractor will be selected and works on the second stage will begin in 2017. The construction is [expected] to be finished by 2021," she said.

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A tender for a general contractor will be held in the fall this year, she added.

Over 70% of all funds stipulated by the federal target program on the development of Russian spaceports through 2025 will be spent on construction works at the Vostochny cosmodrome, Dzhurayeva said.

"This is a lion’s share of works. More than 70% of budgeted funds will be channeled into the Vostochny spaceport," she said in reply to a question about the share of financing for the new cosmodrome.

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