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Russian Space Troops closer to commissioning Far Eastern launch site

Posted on: Thursday, 20 November 2003, 06:00 CST

Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax-AVN web site

Moscow, 20 November: Combat crews of the Russian Space Troops have launched six carrier rockets and supported launches of another nine carrier rockets this year, the troops' press service said on Thursday [20 November].

"In 2003, combat crews of cosmodromes have launched six carrier rockets and supported launches of another nine carrier rockets which orbited a total of about 30 spacecraft. The data was announced at yesterday's session of the Military Council which summed up the troops' combat training results of 2003," a press service official told Interfax-Military News Agency.

According to him, Space Troops' Commander Anatoliy Perminov said in his speech that major attention was paid to upgrading and developing missile and space defence systems in 2003. The most serious result in the sphere is the commissioning of the Volga radar, the commander said.

"As far as launch vehicles and spacecraft control assets are concerned, the main thing is that we did not permit a decline in the strength of the orbital grouping and made visible progress in the development of future space systems," Perminov stressed.

Participants in the session said that R&D and tests in the sphere of future spacecraft and weapons systems continued in 2003. In particular, upgrades of the technical and launch systems for Soyuz- 2 carrier rockets are nearing completion at the Plesetsk cosmodrome and construction of the infrastructure for Strela carrier rockets is under way at the Svobodnyy cosmodrome.

"Speaking about the goals for the 2004 training year, the Space Troops' commander mentioned continuation of flight and design tests of the Rokot carrier rocket, ensuring development of infrastructure for the Angara carrier rocket in Plesetsk and launching flight tests of Soyuz-2 medium carrier rockets," the official said.

The Svobodnyy cosmodrome is to launch flight tests of Strela light carrier rockets and the Baykonur cosmodrome is to continue flight tests of Proton-M heavy carrier rockets with the Briz-M booster, the official added.

[A report by RIA-Novosti added: "The Military Council also discussed the safekeeping of weapons and munitions, the organization of military service, the combat training of troops, the use of the vehicle pool, prevention of road accidents and also the state of law and order and military discipline in the Space Troops."

Sources: Interfax-AVN military news agency web site, Moscow, in English 0826 gmt 20 Nov 03; RIA news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0827 gmt 20 Nov 03

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