[SatNews] Last Saturday, in a move to ensure an independent launch facility for the country, Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister, visited the location where such is hoped to become a reality.

According to Putin, manned space missions to be launched by Russia will start in 2018 from the nation's former missile defense base, Vostochny, which is located outside the town of Ugelgorsk, Amur Oblast, which itself is about 3,600 miles east of Moscow — and, incidentally, a scarce, few hundred miles from the Chinese border with Russia. His comments were made during an inauguration ceremony for the start of construction at the site. One reason given for this new location is that the current location of Baikonur is in another country — Kazakhstan — and a totally independent launch facility is needed. The Baikonur lease will continue through 2050,with Russia having already paid to Kazakhstan around $115 million in payments. Vostochny will host all launches of Russian-manned spacecraft beginning in 2018. Launches of first unmanned spacecraft from the new center are expected to start in 2015. Approximately $779 million is expected to be spent for the first phase of the construction, with the money coming from the profits experienced by Russia from their oil revenues over the past several years, enabling a rebirth of the Russian space program. The new site will cover more than 700 square kilometers and will encompass launch pads, residences, as well as research laboratories.