Russia's Soyuz family of launchers will be upgraded with new electronics and external video cameras before entering service at the new Vostochny space center in 2015, the rocket manufacturer said Friday.

"The video system will monitor the rocket from liftoff during its flight, and especially during the stage separations," a factory spokesman told RIA Novosti.

The Soyuz-2 launchers for use at Vostochny, which come in three variants, will also feature new nickel-cadmium batteries and a new onboard computer, deputy chief designer Dmitry Baranov said.

A meeting of space officials at the factory Thursday chaired by Alexander Ivanov, the deputy head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos, reviewed preparations for launching rockets at the new Far East spaceport.

A senior factory manager said that the upgrades were on schedule to be completed by 2015.

Source: RIA Novosti