“Roskosmos” named the date of the first launch from the Baikonur East – RBC

Start cosmodrome Vostochny space. . March 2016

Photo: Marina Lystseva / TASS

The first launch from the Baikonur East will take place on April 27 in the morning, he reported “Roskosmos”. Earlier it was reported that the corporation plans to insure start by 1.84 billion rubles.

The first launch from the Baikonur East held on April 27 at 5:01 MSK. This was reported by the state corporation “Roscosmos”. “The State Commission, having considered the results of comprehensive tests of the launch facility Baikonur East and prepare the launch vehicle” Soyuz 2.1a “, decided on the appointment of the first launch April 27, 2016 at 5:01 MSK,” – said in “Roskosmos” post to Facebook.

The specialists of state corporation business started prelaunch preparation of all systems of the cosmodrome, launch vehicle and spacecraft, noted in “Roskosmos”. Removal of “Soyuz 2.1a” with the block removal “Volga” and spacecraft “Lomonosov”, “Aist-2D” and “Contact-nano-satellite» (SamSat-218) launch complex is scheduled for April 23.

Earlier in the procurement portal of the published materials, according to which the first launch from the East is planned to insure the 1.84 billion rubles. Insurance carrier rocket “Soyuz 2.1a” is included in this amount and the amount to 1.088 billion rubles. The launch complex at the same time plan to insure at 24.135 billion rubles. The competition results will be announced on April 22.

The first launch from the East was originally planned for 25 December 2015. However, two months before, in October, President Vladimir Putin has postponed the first launch in the spring of 2016. He expressed the hope that will be able to handle the Cosmonautics Day, which in Russia is celebrated on April 12, but stressed that in the space industry are unacceptable rush jobs, so it is necessary to complete all the construction and commissioning. Putin stressed that if the holiday is not ready, you can start to move.

About the time of the first run previously appeared numerous and ambiguous data. Head of “Roscosmos” Igor Komarov, in particular, in late March, announced that the first launch from the cosmodrome will be held in the last decade of April. At the end of December 2015 the general director of the Samara “Progress” space rocket center Kirilin Alexander said that the first launch of the carrier rocket “Soyuz” from the East is scheduled for April 25. In “Roskosmos” at this date, called Kirilina not confirmed, stressing that it “will be determined only after the end of autonomous and complex tests».

Cosmodrome Vostochny in the Amur region began to build in 2011. Construction was planned to finish the 30 November 2015. It was accompanied by complaints of workers who did not receive a salary, as well as criminal cases against “Dalspetsstroy” subcontractors enterprise which is engaged in building. In 2015, losses from theft of more than 2 billion rubles., Said the prosecutor of the Amur region Nikolai Pilipchuk. During the year, police launched Bole e ten criminal cases of embezzlement of money.