Mikhail Vardanyan Appointed Head of Russian Space Station
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Mikhail Vardanyan Appointed Head of Russian Space Station –
Sputniknews – Russian space industry veteran Mikhail Vardanyan has been appointed the new head of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the country’s space agency Roscosmos said Tuesday.
Russian space industry veteran Mikhail Vardanyan has been appointed the new head of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the country’s space agency Roscosmos said Tuesday.
The 54-year-old Vardanyan has spent his entire career in the industry, including 30 years at the Kazakhstan-based Baikonur launch facility as a military engineer and manager, according to a statement on Roscosmos’ website.
Baikonur is the world’s first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan.
Russia leases Baikonur – the launch site of both Sputnik and Yury Gagarin – from Kazakhstan for $115 million annually.