Next Launch From Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome Slated For Summer - Space Center Director

The next launch from Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome is scheduled for summer, Vostochny Space Center director Valinur Agishev said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2019) The next launch from Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome is scheduled for summer, Vostochny Space Center director Valinur Agishev said on Monday.

"The next launch of a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket will take place as early as summer," Agishev said, as quoted in a statement by Russia's Center for Operation of Space Ground Based Infrastructure (TsENKI).

A Russian space industry source, meanwhile, told Sputnik that the carrier rocket would actually carry hydrometeorological satellite Meteor-M No.2-2.

In August, it was reported that the launch of Russian Meteor-M No.

2-2 satellite would take place in either the end of the first quarter or at the beginning of the second quarter of 2019. Initially, it was scheduled for late 2018, but was postponed due to a delay in manufacturing and testing of the spacecraft.

The Vostochny Сosmodrome has been under construction since 2012. The cosmodrome is one of the most expensive spaceports in the world with an estimated price of $7.5 billion. A total of four launches have been carried out from the cosmodrome since it was put into operation.