MOSCOW. Feb 9 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia will continue using the Baikonur cosmodrome after the new Vostochny launch pad has been built, said chief of the Russian space agency Roscosmos Anatoly Perminov.
"The lease agreement for 50 years must be implemented, and interaction with Kazakhstan in running the Baikonur cosmodrome must continue as usual," he said in a statement posted on the Roscosmos website
The American partners' decision to extend the service life of the International Space Station until 2020 is important for Russia and Roscosmos welcomes it enthusiastically, Perminov said.