Russia to perform 9 launches within 3 months

From August to October 2004, Russia plans to perform nine space launches including six from Baikonur (a spaceport in South Kazakhstan in Russia's long-term lease) and three from Plesetsk (Arkhangelsk district, north of Russia's European part), said Vyacheslav Davidenko, spokesman for the Federal Space Agency, on Tuesday.

According to the adjusted schedule, the nearest launch from Baikonur is planned for August 5. The Proton-M booster will orbit the Amazonas telecommunications spacecraft. The Progress-M cargo spacecraft's launch to the International Space Station is scheduled for August 11. The exact date of launching the Soyuz booster carrying the Russian Defense Ministry's satellite from the Plesetsk spaceport has not been specified yet, however it is known that it will also be launched in August.

Scheduled for September are two launches, one from Baikonur and the other from Plesetsk. The launch of the Proton-M booster mounting the AMC-15 telecommunications satellite from Baikonur is scheduled for September 15, while the exact launch date of the Defense Ministry's Kosmos rocket has not been set, however the booster is to be launched from Plesetsk in September.

October will witness four launches, three from Baikonur and one from Plesetsk. The Soyuz-TMA manned spacecraft heading for the International Space Station is to start from Baikonur on October 9. The same spaceport will see the launch of the Proton-M carrying the AMC communications satellite on October 15.

The next Proton's launch from the southern spaceport will take place on October 28, it will orbit the Express-AM telecommunications spacecraft. The final launch from Plesetsk is scheduled for October 15, when the Cyclone-3 booster will orbit the Ukraine's Sich-1M spacecraft, said the Federal Space Agency.