Putin chides officials for delays in cosmodrome construction

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said that he hopes for global cooperation in the space industry at the new Vostochny Cosmodrome in the country’s Far East.

It would be good to have the first launch before Cosmonauts Day on April 12, though “it’s not essential” to meet that deadline and the most important thing is to complete the project properly, Putin said during a tour of the site in Russia’s Far East on Wednesday. Earlier this month it was reported that a rocket assembly building was built to the incorrect dimensions and was too small to house Soyuz-2 rockets.

Vostochny Cosmodrome, situated about 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) east of Moscow and close to the Chinese border, will give Russian Federation its own facility for manned space launches and ease its reliance on Kazakhstan where Russian Federation is renting a legendary Soviet-era launch pad in Baikonur.

“Aim for the first launches in 2016, a few time in spring”, he said. The directors of three subcontractors were later arrested on corruption charges.

“We will increase its capacity”, Putin said during a meeting. “If not, there is no need for rushed work”, Putin said at a conference held at the Vostochny spaceport. Putin on Wednesday also criticized Roscosmos and a federal construction contractor for lack of oversight of their subcontractors, resulting in construction defects. “We’ll make it by mid-April”, he told Putin during a meeting.

It had previously been lagging by eight months. “Simply work it out and tell me when this will be done optimally”, Putin said, before repeating, “Optimally”.