17 Jan 2019 14:02

Russia builds 5 rockets for OneWeb for approx. $1 bln - Progress head

SAMARA. Jan 17 (Interfax) - The Progress Space Rocket Center has built five launch vehicles to carry the UK's OneWeb communication satellites to orbit, Progress General Director Dmitry Baranov told the press.

"About five rockets have been built, and several more are under construction," Baranov said.

"Russia has been paid nearly $1 billion in advance to build the rockets and booster stages," he said.

It is wrong to terminate the contract over the objections raised by security services, because the work will be done in just the same way, just by a contractor from another country, Baranov said.

"There have been rumors in the media that we will not launch [the OneWeb satellite] because of the alleged objections of various services and ministries. If we don't do it, someone else will," Baranov said.

It was reported earlier that OneWeb satellites would be launched by a Soyuz rocket on February 19 from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana.