Putin opens Russia's National Space Center building complex

MOSCOW. Sept 15 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the complex of the National Space Center's buildings as part of the celebrations of Moscow's City Day on Saturday.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and Roscosmos space corporation CEO Dmitry Bakanov, as well as the senior management of enterprises of the rocket and space industry and cosmonauts, took part in the opening ceremony.

The National Space Center was built on the premises of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center in Moscow's Filyovsky Park district at Putin's order and was a joint project of the Moscow government and Roscosmos.

The National Space Center will united Roscosmos's central office, headquarters of enterprises of the rocket and space industry, design bureaus, and development factories.

A total of 22 Moscow rocket and space industry enterprises are expected to move to the center.

The center's estimated cost is 24 billion rubles. It was reported that it would employ 20,000 engineers from various branches of the rocket and space industry.