MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Shoigu's forecasts confirm Roscosmos General Director Igor Komarov's projections regarding the Vostochny Cosmodrome's construction timeframe.
"The needed infrastructure at Vostochny is continued to be built. We are expecting to commission all the Cosmodrome’s facilities before the end of 2016," Shoigu said at a teleconference with senior ministry officials.
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.