Russia announces no more space tourists, new launch facility, new heavy-lift rocket

by William Atkins

Tuesday, 15 April 2008

Page 1 of 2 ! President Vladimir Putin announced that the new Russian Cosmodrome—Vostochny—will be completed by 2015 and that a new heavy-lift Angara launch vehicle will be developed. The RSA, Russia’s space agency, announced that it will probably not carry space tourists to the ISS beginning in 2010. Vostochny Cosmodrome Construction for the Vostochny space launch facility will begin late in 2008 or early in 2009. The new spaceport project was originally announced by Putin on November 21, 2007. Since then, Putin has decided to provide extra money for the project so that the facility will have manned launch capabilities. The new Russian space facility is expected to be fully operation by 2018, and begin manned launches in 2020. It is expected to begin launching unmanned missions in 2015. The Vostochny Cosmodrome will be located in the far eastern section of Russia, in the Amur region that borders China. First Vice Premier Sergei Ivanov stated, “The decision is final.... On November 6, the president inked a decree to set up a new cosmodrome that will be located in the Amur region. Its name is Vostochny.... By 2018, we will ensure the launch of manned programs.... In essence, it will be necessary to build a new town.” [Kommersant: “Rockets to Blast Off from Vostochny Spaceport in 2018”] Currently, Russia launches all of its manned space mission from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which it leases from Kazakhstan. The Soviet Union initially built the Baikonur Cosmodrome, but with the collapse of the U.S.S.R., it has now become the property of Kazakhstan, a former Soviet satellite. The new Vosstochny Cosmodrome will eventually replace the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Putin stated, "We must ensure Russia's guaranteed access to space, that is a capability to make all kind of space launches — satellites, manned spacecraft and interplanetary probes — from our own territory” [FoxNews: “Putin: Russia Will Spend More on Space Industries, But Not Space Tourism”] Angara Booster Rocket In April 2008, Putin also announced that a new booster rocket will be built: Angara. Thirteen years earlier, on August 26, 1995, the heavy-lift rocket was announced for developed by the Russian government. Along with the new family of launch vehicles, the Russian leader also stated in 2008 that money has been dedicated to modernize the country’s entire satellite fleet. The Angara space launch vehicle is currently being developed at the Khrunichev State Space Scientific Production Center (Moscow, Russia). Once operational, the Angara will be primarily launched form the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, a Russian space facility located south of Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 500 miles (800 kilometers) north of Moscow. How is the progress coming along for the development of Angara? Information on the fate of space tourists onboard Russian spacecraft also follows on the next page. << First page <   1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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