MOSCOW. Nov 1 (Interfax-AVN) - The transfer of the Soyuz ST mobile service tower in the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana to the French side is being delayed, Vladimir Gnezdilov, head of the Mir Company that makes the mobile service tower, told Interfax-AVN on Monday.
"A memorandum on the mobile service tower's transfer to the French side was due to be signed on October 15. It is not signed so far," he said.
Russian specialists are assembling the tower's electric power system. "On the whole, our work is successful. The first [space] launch is planned for the first quarter of next year. The mobile service tower and the entire launch pad must be ready much earlier," Gnezdilov said.
He explained the delay in the mobile service tower's construction with numerous amendments the French side had made in the tower technical documentation, such as the tower design, equipment, safety factor and materials. The initial design of the tower proposed by Mir was certified by German Technischer Uberwachungsverein. Amendments of the French partners were not certified.
"We will try to convey problems created by the amendments to the French supervisors," Gnezdilov said.
In his opinion, Russian specialists are more knowledgeable about rocket servicing equipment than foreign colleagues.
Federal Space Agency head Anatoly Perminov said earlier that the first Soyuz-ST rocket would take off from Kourou in spring 2011.
"It seems we have agreed on launching the rocket in late March or in early April," he said.