Russia and Europe sign space deal

The deal will allow Russia to use Europe's space centre in French Guiana

Russia and the European Space Agency (Esa) have signed an agreement to allow closer co-operation over the use of facilities and exchange of information.

Esa director-general Jean-Jacques Dordain and Russian Federal Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov finalised the deal in Moscow on Wednesday.

As part of the agreement, Esa will let Russia use its spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, for rocket launches.

The accord will give Russia special status in Europe's space agency.

Both sides hailed the deal as a great achievement, following four years of tough talks.

"The project for launching Soyuz from Kourou is only a part of a grand project that leads the way to many others," said Mr Perminov on Wednesday.

Also signed was a launcher agreement that will see the two sides share information on designing new launchers and fuels.

The agreement over the use of Esa's space centre at Kourou envisages the development of infrastructure for launching Russian Soyuz-ST carrier rockets from the site. The launch pad is already under construction.

The overall cost of the project was put at 344 million euros with Russia putting in around 130 million euros.

The first launch of a Russian Soyuz vehicle from French Guiana was tentatively scheduled for December 2006, Mr Dordain said.

Mr Perminov stressed that such status did not imply Russia's immediate entry into Europe's space agency.

He said a working group had been set up to look at the removal of administrative or legal obstacles to co-operation between Russia's space industry and Esa.