MOSCOW. Nov 28 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia will launch four space rockets from Baikonur and Plesetsk and assist in launching a Soyuz-ST rocket from the European Kourou Space Center before the end of this year.
"Consistent with the space launch plan for 2013, five rockets carrying satellites will be launched in December under the federal space program of Russia, international cooperation programs, commercial projects and in the interests of the Russian Defense Ministry," a Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) spokesman told Interfax-AVN.
Baikonur crews will launch the Inmarsat-5F1 satellite (on December 8) and the Express-AM5 satellite (on December 26).
Roscosmos will also participate in the preparations for and the holding of two launches from the Plesetsk Space Center and the launch of a Gaia satellite from the Space Center in French Guiana.
A Soyuz-2.1v rocket carrying SKRL calibration spheres and the Aist satellite will take off from Plesetsk on December 24, and a Rokot rocket launched from Plesetsk will put defense satellites into orbit on December 25, a source in the space industry told Interfax-AVN.