The fact that the Plesetsk Federal Program was discussed in the early 2000 is evidence of the seriousness of Russia’s intentions regarding Plesetsk.
The world's most northern spaceport is also world's most active: About 40 percent of all satellites launched in the world were launched from Plesetsk.
Russia's rental agreement for Baikonur expires in 2014. This time should allow Russia to develop the necessary launch support infrastructure it needs in Plesetsk to become self-sufficient, though Russia is not in a hurry to close Baikonur.
"It supports manned space launches well," said Sergey Shubnikov, a Head of the Special Programs Department at the Russian Ministry for CIS Affairs. "While the bulk of the automated spacecraft launches will be moved to Plesetsk, Baikonur will mostly likely remain a site for the manned launches even after 2014."
Shubnikov’s opinion has been echoed by Sergey Krikalev, one of the most experienced Russian cosmonauts and a flight engineer slated to be on the first International Space Station (ISS) crew.
"I don’t see how Russia could move its manned space operations to Plesetsk," said Krikalev. "It can’t be done in the foreseeable future for two reasons. First, to build a manned launch support infrastructure in Plesetsk will require a lot of money that Russia does not have at this point."
"Second, Russia does not have a launch vehicle which will be able to deliver a Soyuz-type spacecraft to Mir or [the] ISS' orbital inclination from Plesetsk’s latitude. Soyuz will have to carry nothing but fuel. A Zenit-type booster might be able to deliver a manned spacecraft to Mir or ISS orbits, but such spacecraft which could be used with this type of launch vehicle still needs to be designed and built. Russia does not have money to do this either."
The Soviet Union used to have two spaceports: Baikonur and Plesetsk, though they did not parallel each other in terms of launch activity.
Baikonur’s launch infrastructure supported operations of Proton-type heavy launch vehicles and piloted Soyuz-type boosters. The military used Plesetsk, mainly to put reconnaissance, communication, navigation and early missile warning satellites into space.
Unlike Baikonur, which started its operation in 1957, Plesetsk became operational in 1966.
However, just a three years after its inauguration, in 1969, more vehicles were launched yearly from Plesetsk than from Baikonur.
Baikonur surpassed Plesetsk in terms of launch activity only in 1993. The world's most northern spaceport also became the world's most active – about 40 percent of all satellites launched in the world were launched from Plesetsk.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russian space authorities decided to gradually move all the military launches to Plesetsk. However, the lack of money did not allow the Russians to realize this plan.
Moreover, in 1997 the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (RASA) assumed control over Baikonur's launch facilities -- formerly under the jurisdiction of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The agency began shifting satellite launches from Plesetsk to Baikonur. In 1999, 38 satellites were launched from the latter while only six flew from Plesetsk.
To restore the balance in launch activity between the two spaceports, and to boost Plesetsk’s economy, the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces (Russian acronym RVSN) together with RASA worked out the Plesetsk Federal Program. This program envisages building in Plesetsk the Angara launch support infrastructure. The first launch of this new generation heavy-lift booster should take place in Plesetsk in 2002.
Meanwhile, commercial space operations using the existing launch vehicles will be intensified in Plesetsk. This spring, the Kosmos 3-M booster should put German and Italian satellites into space. In the same season, the Rokot launch vehicle should start its regular commercial operations.
Rokot will be operated by Eurockot, a joint venture formed by the Khrunichev Center and the German company, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace. So far, this venture has made the greatest contribution ($50 million) to the development of Plesetsk infrastructure.
"The realization of Plesetsk Federal Program will enable Russia to launch its vehicles to all types of orbits from this northern spaceport by 2010," said an unidentified representative of the Russian government in his interview with the Russian Kommersant newspaper. "Russia will have a permanently guaranteed access to space."
The development of the Plesetsk spaceport is not only about Russia’s launch independence. It is also about saving money for the malnourished federal space budget. At the meeting of the RVSN military council which took place in Plesetsk on February 18, Col.-Gen. Vladimir Yakovlev, a commander-in-chief of RVSN, said that Vladimir Putin had supported the RVSN/RASA initiative to move part of their military and civilian launches from Baikonur to Plesetsk. Such measures are expected to save more than 1 billion rubles through the year 2006.
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