Russia to supply additional batch of Soyuz rockets for launches from Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana - source
BAIKONUR. March 25 (Interfax) - An additional agreement on supplying a batch of Soyuz-ST rockets for launches from the Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana has been signed, a source familiar with the matter told Interfax.
"The document stipulates the supply of seven Soyuz [rockets] worth around $400 million," the source said.
The agreement "was signed prior to the first series of sanctions coming into effect," which the European Union introduced regarding Russia over Crimea, the source said.
One more aspect of possible interest of Europeans emerged during the recent visit of a European expert delegation to Soyuz producer Samara-based TsSKB-Progress, the source said. "They inquired about the possibility to adapt new Russian rocket Soyuz-2.1v for Soyuz launching complex at the Kourou cosmodrome," the source said.
The interest could be attributed to the fact that "the European light rocket Vega turned out to be too expensive," the source said.