Proton-M starts to resume in May 2017

BAIKONUR. KAZINFORM - According to the schedule of missile launch from Baikonur for the year 2017, which was approved by the Government of Kazakhstan, "Proton-M" was supposed to be launched on January 28.   

However the schedule of firing of "Proton-M" is being adjusted in connection with the situation with rocket engines.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin wrote on his twitter that the Government of Russia were holding the investigation of the status of missile engines at the Voronezh Mechanical Plant (VMP) in check.

"Firing of "Proton-M" missiles will be resumed in 3,5 months. The parties who put their hand to replacement of the technologies and documentation with counterfeits will be punished rigidly. Three "Proton-M" missiles will be disassembled. The engines of the 2nd and 3rd steps have been renewed", - he wrote.

According to Dmitry Rogozin, Russia needs to create a single holding which would encompass all entities releasing engines for spaceships.

"The board of the military industrial complex insists on soonest creation of single engine-building holding for implementation of single technical policy", - the Deputy Prime Minister wrote.

"The Government will follow up on how the situation with Proton-M engines will be evolving. We avoided new accidents. Now the investigation led by Roskosmos will be on control of the Government of the Russian Federation", Deputy Prime Minister of Russia D. Rogozin informed on the twitter.