MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. The liftoff route to the high-potential Russian Orbital Station will be over Siberia and the Far North, Deputy General Designer of the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation and General Designer of the Station Vladimir Kozhevnikov told TASS.

The high orbit inclination from 96.8 to 97 degrees was chosen to obtain new operational capabilities compared to the International Space Station and Soviet-era stations.

"The launch route will be over the regions of Siberia’s East and the Far North, which includes the area over the Arctic Ocean," Kozhevnikov said.

The deputy general designer considers the task of rescuing cosmonauts in case of emergency situations during the flight to be feasible. However, the use of search and rescue equipment will be limited by the harsh climate and poor transport infrastructure. Therefore, if the crew cannot be evacuated in time, aircraft with parachutes and life-saving equipment will be sent to the landing area.

"The aerodrome network along the route enables search and rescue operations all over the land segment and on a significant portion of the offshore segment by using airfields on Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land," he added.

The greater portion of the offshore segment of the launch route will cross the western part of the Russian Arctic region, where the marine operations center and marine rescue centers are operating 365 days a year, Kozhevnikov noted. "The Greenland Sea launch route will be covered by a rescue vessel and by aviation from the aerodrome in Severomorsk," he added.