ESA Council Of Ministers To Consider Future Space Cooperation With Russia

The Council of Ministers of the European Space Agency (ESA) will consider further cooperation in space with Russia at its meeting on November 15. In particular, the ESA ministers will discuss whether Russia would be allowed using the French launch site in Courou, French Guiana, to launch its Soyuz launch vehicles to deliver international commercial satellites into orbit. The Paris office of the Joint Russian-European Space Company Starsem said on Wednesday that no representatives of the Rosaviakosmos company would be present at the meeting, "as Russia is not a member of the European Union." At the same time, a source within Starsem asserted that the issue of Russian launches from Courou would be "resolved in Russia's favour." No press will be allowed to the meeting of the ESA Council of Ministers.