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Russia reshuffles management of new spaceport program

Xinhua, April 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

Russian authorities on Wednesday decided to reshuffle the management structure responsible for the construction of the new Vostochny space center after large-scale mismanagement was revealed there.

According to the Federal Space Agency Roscosmos, construction of the cosmodrome in the Far Eastern Amur region lags four months behind the schedule.

Besides, the agency has arrears in paying salary to over 5,700 involved in the project. Roscosmos head Igor Komarov said there is not enough workforce to conduct the scheduled work on time.

In that situation, "the management work at the Vostochny will be taken over by the National Defense Control Center," Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said at a government meeting.

"All resources possessed by the Special Construction Department, Defense Ministry and Roscosmos must be used to sort out the mess," Rogozin said.

The construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome started from 2010 and is scheduled to be finished by this year with the first unmanned launch planned in the year and the first manned mission for 2018.

Russia considers the project to be not only of scientific, but of economic or even geopolitical importance. Endit