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Soyuz-ST to be launched from French Guiana in 1st half of 2009

RIA Novosti

23/07/2008 18:06 MOSCOW, July 23 (RIA Novosti) - The first Soyuz-ST carrier rocket will be launched from French Guiana in the first half of 2009, the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos said on Wednesday, citing the French satellite launch firm Arianespace CEO.

A Russian launch pad is currently being built at the Kourou space center in French Guiana as part of a recent contract between Roscosmos and Arianespace.

"The Russian team of specialists will arrive at Kourou in August. The construction work for a launch pad for Soyuz rockets that the French side was to carry out has been completed," Jean-Yves Le Galle said.

The Kourou launch site is intended mainly for the launch of geostationary satellites. Its close proximity to the equator will enable the Soyuz-ST to put into orbit heavier satellites than from Baikonur in Kazakhstan and Plesetsk in northern Russia.

Under a contract signed last June with Arianespace, the Soyuz will have a separate launch pad near Sinnamari, a village 10 kilometers (six miles) north of the site used for the Ariane-5, the main European-made booster.

Launches of Soyuz spacecraft are a key part of the Russian-French space exploration program.