For The First Time In Five Years, In 2001 Russia Meets Defense Ministry's Launch Schedule

In 2001, for the first time in five years, the schedule of spacecraft launches for the Russian Defense Ministry has been fully met, a RIA Novosti correspondent quotes the press service of the Russian Space Forces as saying on Friday. "This has been done due to the support we got from the state, the president," stressed the press service. Results of the outgoing year 2001, when the Russian Spaces Forces were established, were summarised by their commander Colonel-General Anatoli Perminov. He was extending congratulations to the combat crews which in Friday put into orbit a Tsiklon-3 carrier missile tipped with six spacecraft from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Northern Russia. Perminov said that from Russian cosmodromes the military have blasted off 13 missiles and participated in another ten launches jointly with specialists from the Russian Aerospace Agency (Rosaviacosmos). Thirty two spacecraft have been put into orbit. Another four launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles were made in the interest of the military. The Space Forces commander said that in 2001 duty shifts at the German Titov Main Test Center for Checking and Control of Space Means has held more than 230,000 communication contacts with orbited spacecraft, made over 23 launches of carrier missiles. "In the coming year 2002 the Space Forces will face even more responsible goals. Meeting them will put Russia's defense capability to a qualitatively new level", said the commander of the Russian Space Forces.