PARIS, April 11 (UPI) -- The Russian Space Agency agreed Monday to sign a deal with rocket launch company Arianespace to build a launch complex in French Guiana, EU Business reported.
"The contract has two components, one for construction of a launch site and another for the building of an adapted version of the Soyouz spacecraft known as the Soyouz 2-LN," said Jean-Yves Le Gall, director-general of Arianespace.
Le Gall said as much as $157 million dollars in contracts would be given Russian space industry firms, in order for the Russian Space Agency to be able to build a site to launch rockets from the Kourou site in Guiana.
The total cost of the project is expected to be $446 million, of which $289 million will be financed by the European Space Agency. The European Investment Bank is providing the remaining $157 million in loan money.
