Construction of launch pad for Angara rocket begins at Vostochny spaceport

The chief of the space rocket corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin has declared construction work has begun at the Vostochny spaceport for the heavy space rocket Angara.

Earlier, Roscosmos said a contract with PSO Kazan for building a second unit of the Vostochny spaceport would be signed at the end of August and construction work would commence in early September.

"We are beginning the construction of a second launch pad for the heavy rocket Angara," Rogozin tweeted on Friday.

According to earlier reports, the Angara launch pad is to be completed by December 31, 2022. Construction costs are estimated at nearly 39 billion rubles ($565 million).

The first launch pad for Soyuz rockets was built in 2012-2016 and the first launch from Vostochny was carried on April 28, 2016.

The launch pad for the Angara-A5 heavy rockets was designed for ten launches as year, according to the Roscosmos website. It will consist of the launch pad proper, the fueling tower, the transportation unit, fueling and firefighting systems and other facilities.