UGLEGORSK (Amur region), July 01. /ITAR-TASS/. The first stage of the Vostochny (Eastern) spaceport in the Russian Far East will be put into operation in a year, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin who is in charge of the construction of the facility and the Russian defense industry sector.

Rogozin inspected the technical area, construction site of the first launch pad, saw the work of the student construction brigades engaged in the work for the construction of the “Tsiolkovsky city of space intelligentsia.”

“We note that the task to involve student construction brigades has been fulfilled,” the deputy prime minister said. “We have attracted the students of space universities. The guys have come to the place where they will be living, working and achieving their dreams of working in the Russian space industry,” the official said.

At the moment, Rogozin stressed, one of the main tasks is the synchronisation of the actions of Russia’s Federal Special Construction Agency (Spetsstroy) and industry for the delivery of the needed equipment.

At a meeting on the spaceport construction Rogozin said that he would sign the order of the Russian government that would obligate the federal officials who are responsible for the Vostochny construction to visit the construction site every three months as a minimum.

The decree on the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 6, 2007. The cosmodrome is located in the Far East in the Amur region. The total area of Vostochny will reach about 700 square kilometres.

Vostochny will become the first national civilian spaceport ensuring Russia’s independent access to outer space. The first launch from Vostochny is planned for late 2015, and the first manned flight - for 2018.