ZHUKOVSKY, Moscow region. Aug 18 (Interfax-AVN) - Up to ten Soyuz-2 rockets will launch Progress freighters before the new delivery vehicle is used to carry a manned spaceship, CSKB-Progress General Director Alexander Kirillin told Interfax-AVN at the MAKS 2011 International Aerospace Show in Zhukovsky on Tuesday.
"Progress launches will begin in 2013," he said.
A decision on the number of Progress launches by Soyuz-2 rockets, to be done before the beginning of the manned program, will be made before the end of this year, Kirillin said.
"There may be from six to eight launches, no more than ten," he said.
So far, Soyuz-2-1A rockets will be used to carry Soyuz and Progress spaceships to orbit. "We will abstain from using Soyuz-2-1B rockets until the reliability of their third stage is proved," Kirillin said.