[FPSPACE] Russia may open new space launch site - Space Agency

[Jim Oberg]

      Russia may open new space launch site - Space Agency
                  13:34 | 28/ 02/ 2007



CAYENNE, February 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia may open a new launch site for 
manned space missions, the head of the Russian space agency said Wednesday.

Russia currently launches manned space mission from the Baikonur space 
center in Kazakhstan. Another launch site in Russia's Plesetsk only handles 
unmanned space missions.

"This is about a new location for piloted space launches on Russian 
territory," Anatoly Perminov said. "I will be able to provide more 
information on the proposed location of the new launch site in a few weeks 
as we need to be extremely thorough before selecting any new site."

Russia leases the Baikonur space center from the Central Asian republic of 
Kazakhstan at $115 million per year. In June 2005 the Federation Council, 
the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, ratified an agreement between 
Russia and Kazakhstan on extending Russia's lease of the Baikonur space 
launch facility until 2050.

Perminov said that the planned launch site will not be in competition with 
Baikonur.

"We have wonderful relations with Kazakhstan and I do not think that will 
change," he said.

"But we need to look to the future and develop our own piloted 
cosmonautics," Perminov said. "It is reasonable to have a launch site on the 
Russian territory."

He added that the proposal of the Russian Space Agency will be sent to the 
government.