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	Russians Proceed with Busy Launch Schedule By Anatoly Zak Staff Writer posted: 06:52 am ET 08 October 1999

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The Russian Space and Aviation Agency (RASA) has a busy few months ahead of it, as it proceeds with several launches, some of which have been delayed until now because of the country's financial problems.

First, RASA hopes to conduct two more launches of the Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan this month.

The launches of the most powerful booster in the Russian space fleet are currently scheduled for October 21 and October 27, according to RASA spokesman Konstantin Kreidenko.

Russias aggressive schedule in the next two months also includes:

October 18 and November 15 -- Soyuz launches with Globalstar communication satellites;
November 25 -- Soyuz launch with a Progress cargo ship to deliver fuel to the Mir space station;
November 21 -- Proton launch with Sesat communications satellite.

RASA is also preparing a Soyuz spacecraft and its crew for a possible launch in case of problems with the docking between the Zvezda service module and the International Space Station.

Also in Plesetsk, strategic missile forces are preparing a test launch of the new Rockot booster, which uses the first two stages of a retired ICBM and a new upper stage called Breeze. The launch was originally scheduled for September, but was delayed because of financial problems. Now, RASA says the launch could take place in the very near future.