Sanctions won't lead to disruption of launch program for 2022 - Roscosmos CEO

BLAGOVESHCHENSK. April 12 (Interfax) - Roscosmos will conduct all planned launches of Russian spacecraft despite sanctions against the space industry, Roscosmos Director Dmitry Rogozin said.

"We will be working, will ensure all federal flights this year and put spacecraft into commission next year too; some spacecraft launched on behalf of the Defense Ministry have already performed the objectives they were supposed to. This is why I believe we will handle this task," Rogozin said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"There are some delays, and we accept this criticism, but there will be no actual disruption. We'll spend some time to revise the scheme of technical decisions with the general designer's help, but it will be all our own; it will stay in the country afterwards. So there is no need to worry about the space and rocket industry," he said.

The president said during the meeting that the sanctions targeting Roscosmos and its enterprises are "an attempt to deter the development of the industry."

Rogozin said in January that Roscosmos was planning about 30 space launches for 2022.

Rogozin said on March 19 that Roscosmos would perform about 20 space launches in 2022 after the cancellation of OneWeb missions and the suspended operation of the Soyuz launch site in Kourou.

On March 4, Rogozin ordered a stop to preparations for the launch of a Soyuz-2.1b rocket carrying OneWeb satellites from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The decision was made because "OneWeb has disobeyed our lawful demand to provide necessary information as to whether or not the system will be used for military purposes for the benefit of the Pentagon and military agencies of NATO member states," he said.