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First Soyuz missile launch from Kourou scheduled for November 28

The Progress Rocket and Space Center disclosed that it had commenced preparations to the launch Monday

Russia's Soyuz spacecraft at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou AP Photo/Henri Griffit, archive

Russia's Soyuz spacecraft at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou

© AP Photo/Henri Griffit, archive

MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. The first launch of the Soyuz-ST-A carrier rocket from the Kourou spaceport this year is scheduled for November 28, the Progress Rocket and Space Center announced Tuesday.

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Soyuz rocket launch from Kourou spaceport scheduled for April 14

"The launch of the Soyuz-ST-A is scheduled for November 28 this year," the Center said.

Previously, all operations at the spaceport had been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Center disclosed that its specialists had commenced preparations to the launch Monday. They will have to carry out annual maintenance of the ground equipment, as well as the final assembly, pneumatic and electric tests of the missile and the spacecraft and a number of other tasks.

The Soyuz-ST-A carrier missile was developed and is being produced by the Progress Center. It is a version of the Soyuz-2 missile, adapted to meet the Guiana space center's requirements on safety (reception of flight abort command), telemetry (decimeter-range transmitters with European telemetry frame structure) and operation conditions (increased humidity, transportation by sea and others).

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