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Russia to Yield Not Only to the U.S. in the Moon Race
Russia’s Federal Space Agency, Roskosmos will elaborate proposals for the Moon program in the following month and submit them to the country’s leadership, said Alexey Krasnov, head of the manned flight program department at Federal Space Agency, Roskosmos.
Not only the United States, but quite a few other nations that, until recently, haven’t manifested their Moon ambitions are capable of outpacing Russia in such race, Krasnov said during the news conference held in Korolev-town of the Moscow region after docking of Progress M-61 and ISS.
“The delay is dangerous,” Krasnov warned as quoted by Mayak broadcaster.
When it comes to the Moon, the apprehension of Roskosmos appears well-justified. China, for instance, vows to put down its first astronaut on the Moon in less than 20 years and says that the moonwalk will take place in 2024.
In Russia, however, preparation of manned flights to the Moon is expected to be revived only in 2015 to 2020. Today’s concern of the Kremlin is getting ready for the Mars flights, which are slated for 2030, according to the optimistic forecasts of Roskosmos.
Under the Federal Space Program, Russia is expected to cover at least 21 percent of global market of space services by 2015. Nowadays, Russia accounts for just 11 percent of this market, which capacity is estimated at $20 billion.
www.kommersant.com
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