The Plesetsk military cosmodrome of the Russian Ministry of Defense is being modernized to launch a number of new rockets. Work on the modernization and construction of new facilities is already in the final stages.
The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Shoigu, arrived to inspect how the cosmodrome had changed. He checked the preparation complex for launching universal rocket modules of the Angara space rocket complex, as well as the assembly halls for heavy and light class space rockets.
The new complex, as noted by the Ministry of Defense, is designed to prepare "military and socio-economic spacecraft", as well as Breeze-M upper stages and space head units for the Angara family of launch vehicles. All its standard basic sets of mechanical and technological equipment, fire extinguishing systems, communications, oxygen content control, pneumatic tests and electrical tests — are completely domestic.
Soon the complex's employees will have more work: some of the Angara launches scheduled for this year to complete the testing program for this rocket family will take place from Plesetsk.
Six launches of these rockets have already been successfully carried out. Three more launches of this class of launch vehicles are planned for this year. With the completion of the modernization of the second launch complex for Soyuz launch vehicles, the cosmodrome's ability to support spacecraft launches will double. Work is underway to modernize the Rokot light-class space rocket complex, the testing of which is scheduled to begin in December this year.
According to the head of the military department, this cosmodrome now has all the infrastructure to launch both light and heavy Angara launch vehicles with payloads to all types of orbits in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
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