The Vostochny space center under construction.

Photo is courtesy of TACC.

[SatNews] Experts and technical specialists of the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos have completed assembly of the launch system of the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle a month ahead of schedule and have done the first necessary adjustment and start-up works, the press service of the Center for Ground Infrastructures reporting to Roscosmos.

Experts at the Center for Ground Infrastructures stated the system was totally ready for autonomous testing that will begin after the installation has been connected to regular electricity supplies. "All the launch and technology supervision systems have been manufactured," the source said. "As much as 96 percent of all the equipment for the technological complex has been delivered to the site."

The Russian government is building the Vostochny space center, to be completed by 2010, near the town of Uglegorsk in the Far-Eastern Amur region. This will be the first, national, fully civilian space center in Russia and will provide the country with space launches for all types of purposes.