The Russian Ministry for Economic Development and Trade has endorsed a draft space plan for 2006-2015 that calls for a significant increasing in spending.
The Itar-Tass news agency said the proposed space program includes building the Kliper manned shuttle spacecraft, completion of the Russian segment of the International Space Station, and launch of a research craft to Phobos, moon.
Also up for funding is expansion of the Global Navigation Satellite System, or GLONASS, which is based on active satellites that continuously transmit coded signals on two frequency bands to pinpoint position and velocity on Earth in real time, the agency said.
Anatoly Perminov, head of Roskosmos, was quoted by Itar-Tass in April as saying 305 billion rubles or $11 billion will be needed to implement the space program for 2006-2015.
In April, the Duma’s committee for i! ndustry, construction and high technologies recommended no less than 24.4 billion rubles or $900 million for the program in next year’s federal budget.
