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03-14-2012, 06:36 PM,

Russia plans missions to Mars and the Moon
by Evgeniya Chaykovskaya at 13/03/2012 17:36

Numerous launch failures did nothing to dampen Russian space agency's optimism, as Roskosmos has grand plans for the next two decades.

The agency has published its strategy for development until 2030 and sent the document to the government. There are plans for manned flights to the Moon, Mars bases, and a new orbital station.

Ticket to the Moon and bases on Mars

Roskosmos plans to demonstratively 'fly around the Moon, land, send cosmonauts out on the surface, and return them to Earth,' Kommersant reported. Roskosmos is not worried that the United States did something similar 60 years ago.

The agency is considering working with foreign partners for the flight, the head of manned-flight programs at Roskosmos, Alexei Krasnov, told RIA Novosti.

The strategy also includes plans for studying Venus and Jupiter. Foreign partners will help the agency to set up a series of research stations on Mars. The International Space Station will also be replaced in 2020, according to the plan.

Industry development a priority

The document is set to help Roskosmos secure the country's place in the top three space powers in the world.

Priorities include the development of space technology, creating modern methods of space exploration and building a new generation orbital station. In order to do all this, space and rocket industry will have to be modernized, and there will be a Presidential Space Council.

By 2015, Roskosmos plans to use space probes made mostly of foreign components, but this will change by 2020.

By 2030, Russian space ships will provide 95 percent of all the nation's space needs for science, defense and the economy (instead of 40 percent in 2011).

Vostochny, the space launch pad under construction in Amur region in the Far East, will be used by 2020 to launch 'heavy manned ships of new generation' that are to be developed.

Russia also plans to work more on clearing the space rubbish floating around the Earth.

Head of Roskosmos, Vladimir Popovkin, earlier predicted that financing for new developments will cost 150-200 billion rubles a year by 2030. The money is expected to come both from the budget and private investors.

copied from:
http://themoscownews.com/russia/20120313/189531275.html

Luksiboj · 03-14-2012, 10:15 PM,

I would like to see all of this come true...And sooner the better...

03-14-2012, 11:02 PM,

Yes. I suppouse we're now on next stage of conquer of space, practical use of it, not only purely scientific purpouses or communication satellites. Space can be now used as place to spy others or source of rare elements, for example minimal traces of Helium-3 are found on Earth, while there are great deposits of this isotope on Moon. He-3 is probably fuel of the future, as fuel for nuclear fusion reactor ( e.g. like this one from ITER program:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITER )

btw. From interesting things - sole helium producing facility in the whole European Union is in Poland, owned by state-controlled PGNiG, Polish Petroleum and Gas Mining.
Thanks to this, Poland is one from the only 6 countries on the world processing that element.

EDIT: No, that part about helium producing facility in Poland wasn't political issue, just additional info for curious members.

The.Wizard · 03-15-2012, 12:38 AM,

' Wrote:I would like to see all of this come true...And sooner the better...

This.

**jammi** · 03-15-2012, 12:51 AM,

I'd rather see a centralised Earth space agency push development than any one country. Last thing we need is another global pissing contest over Mars, between the US, China and Russia.

Plus countries tend to be dicks when it comes to sharing and playing nice. It'd be great if there was a unified space council, because then there'd be so many biases tugging at the due process that everyone would be discriminated against equally. Yay for level handed treatment!

EDIT: Also, is it just me, or does that timeline sound like 99% impractical posturing? I'll be amazed if the Russians can put their money where their mouth is.

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sadtranslation · 03-15-2012, 01:09 AM,

Unfortunately, so far most of Roskosmos's most expensive projects are failing. The same Fobos-Grunt satellite that should had brought the examples of Fobos's surface to Earth hadn't lasted a week - and it was being prepared for like twenty years, I guess.

Those numbers are totally random like any officially voiced numbers in Russia.

In the meanwhile, those putting too much hopes on the development of Russian space industry should keep in mind, that there were hardly large successes in country's operations lately. Russia can still offer space freighter, but far space missions and complex projects like the one NASA maintains on Mars are something out of reach.

And I do agree that when it comes to space science, the wide cooperation between institutes and agencies saves a lot of time and money, astronomical sums of money to be precise. But I guess that's something in controversy with purely ideological matters.