12 Feb 2020 15:11

Baikonur plans 18 space launches for 2020 - Rogozin

MOSCOW. Feb 12 (Interfax) - There are plans to carry out 18 space launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2020, Roscosmos General Director Dmitry Rogozin said on the Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station.

"According to the preliminary plan, about 18 launches will be performed from Baikonur this year," Rogozin said.

The state corporation said earlier that more than 40 Russian space-mission vehicles would be launched in 2020 from Baikonur, Vostochny, Plesetsk, and the Guiana Space Center.

Russia carried out 25 space launches in 2019. According to Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov, the 2019 launch program was fulfilled at slightly less than 50%.

Rogozin said early last year that 45 space launches had been planned for 2019. He noted that the plans included military rocket launches ensured by branches of Roscosmos.

"These launches are carried out by Defense Ministry crews. We provide the vehicles, but launches are performed by the Defense Ministry. So I could give you different numbers, 45, 46, or 47, but I'd rather let my colleagues do that. Why would I intrude on their territory?" Rogozin told the press on December 16, 2019.