RUSSIA CENTER SENDS EQUIPMENT TO KOUROU

SAMARA, June 16 (Itar-Tass) - The Samara space rocket center CSKB
Progress wil send the first batch of ground equipment for the launch pad of the Kourou space centre in French Guiana.

The pad for Russian spacecraft Soyuz-ST is being built under the
project Soyuz. The project is implemented on the basis of the
intergovernmental agreement that was signed between Russia ands France in 2003. Its cost is 344 million euros.

Equipment will be delivered to South America by sea. Two rockets
Soyuz-ST will be supplied to the Guiana center in January of 2009.

The Samara center CSKB Progress has developed the carrier rocket
Soyuz-ST on the basis of modernized Soyuz-2.

Within the framework of the Soyuz on Kourou project, work is going on on adapting the rocket to conditions of the Guiana space center.

Equipment is being installed on Soyuz-ST on France's demand. This will provide a possibility for switching off the rocket from the ground if it goes off course.

The rocket will also have radar for inflight control.

The equatorial location of Kourou will allow a fuller use of energy possibilities of rockets for delivery of spacecraft to transitional and stationary earth orbits.

There are four orders for launches of Russian rockets Soyuz from the Guiana space center.