But Russian television reported Monday that authorities had turned off the power to the space center because of a critical electricity shortage, according to Reuters.
Ivan Safronov, a spokesman for the Military Space Forces, said President Boris Yeltsin has signed a decree giving the official status of the main Russian cosmodrome to Plesetsk, in order to maintain Russia's "absolutely independent space policy."
"With Baikonur now belonging to Kazakhstan, Russia, as a great space power, needs to have an official main cosmodrome," he said. "No matter for how long we leased Baikonur launching site from Kazakhstan, it is not ours and we must think about the future."
Arkhangelsk regional governor Pavel Valashin gave the order to cut off electricity supplies to the center because the local power station only had two days' fuel left, Russian television reported.
Plesetsk is situated near the closed city of Mirny in Arkhangelsk region, 800 kilometers north of Moscow.
Russia will lease the Baikonur space launching site for the next 20 years at a cost of $115 million a year.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.