MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A preflight astronaut training complex at Russia’s new Vostochny Space Center will be completed by 2022, the head of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center said.
“According to the confirmed schedule, the construction of the preflight astronaut training center at the Vostochny Cosmodrom will be completed in 2022…This will be the most modern preflight training complex,” Yuri Lonchakov told journalists.
Vostochny, which has been under construction since 2012, is expected to reduce Russia's dependency on the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan. Baikonur is on lease to Russia until 2050.