The Russian Federal Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov said Friday that Russia hopes to conduct more space cooperation with China, including manned space flight.
At Moscow’s seventh International Air Show exhibit, Perminov told Xinhua that Russia and China have made much progress in space cooperation, but it is far from enough.
Russia must conduct some “serious projects” with big nations such as China, he added.
As to China’s second manned mission, Shenzhou VI, scheduled forearly October this year, Perminov expressed his hope that it would be successful.
When asked whether Russia would cooperate with China in developing the Kliper shuttle, a reusable spacecraft that is being designed to replace the Soviet-designed single-use Soyuz, he said that if China asks to take part in the project, Russia will consider it.
Earlier Friday, during a meeting with China’s first spaceman Yang Liwei, Perminov invited China’s first spaceman, Yang Liwei, to make a space flight to the moon aboard the Kliper shuttle, the Itar-Tass news agency reported..
According to Perminov, the first flight of the manned Kliper shuttle is scheduled for 2012.
