ITAR-TASS reports that the Russian Federal Space Agency will submit to the government a bill on ratifying an agreement on the launch of Russia's Soyuz boosters from the equatorial cosmodrome Kourou in French Guiana later on Thursday, the governmental press service said.
Under the long-term agreement signed back on November 7, 2003, Russia and France will jointly design, build and use booster rockets and place a Soyuz-ST booster in Guiana's space centre.
The agreement envisions an exclusive right for commercial use of Soyuz-ST by a launch operator. Russia also reserves its sovereign right to use the booster in Russian state programs and international programs and projects with Russia's participation in the interests of a third country, Prime-Tass said.
Earlier, the first deputy designer-general of the Machine-Building Design Bureau, Vladimir Klimov, said Russia would begin to assemble a launching pad for Soyuzes in Kourou in early August 2007.
"At present, equipment for this is being produced at a full drive,' he said.
All disputes have been settled and necessary documents signed. A first group of Russian specialists will be sent to French Guiana in May-June 2007, Klimov said.
Roskosmos deputy head Viktor Remishevsky said "there have already been four orders for the launch of Soyuzes from Kourou. Of course, rockets cannot be blasted off until a launching pad is built."
The project's costs are estimated at 344 million euros. Russia will get 130 million euros.
The first launch of a Soyuz booster from Kourou is scheduled for late 2008.
Self-propelled vessels for river-sea navigation will ship Russian boosters to French Guiana.
