Authorities in the far eastern region of Magadan are preparing to inspect the area for fragments of carrier rockets that could fall from space after being launched from the future Vostochny Cosmodrome, a news report said Tuesday.
A reconnaissance commission within the Federal Space Agency, or Roscosmos, has been set up to deal with the prospect of stray rockets part crashing down in the Magadan region, the Far East Federal District's forestry department said, Interfax reported. Members of the Magadan region's forest services have also been included in the commission.
Fragments of the carrier rockets must land in sparsely populated areas, such as the mountainous Tenkinsky district and the forests of Kolyma, hence the forest services' involvement.
Vostochny, which should reduce Russia's reliance on the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, is expected to host its first manned flight in 2018. Roscosmos plans to move 45 percent of Russia's space launches to Vostochny — located in the Amur region — by 2020.
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