The Russian space program for 2006-2015 has been fully detailed, the head of the Federal Space Agency, Anatoly Perminov, told Itar-Tass Wednesday, stressing that the emphasis will be on making Russia a commercial player in the space industry while ensuring it can support its military related space needs.
“The program should also be coordinated with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the Finance Ministry,” Perminov said.
The program that “was recognized as one of the best,” according to Perminov, was initially considered in three variants ¿ innovative and active, moderate and passive. “We’ve chosen the moderate variant that envisages 305 billion roubles from the budget proceeding from possible financing,” he pointed out.
“Financing that we specified in the program allows Russia to preserve its status as a leading space power, to realize its scientific-technical potential, to preserve industries and jobs, and to strengthen and protect Russia’s position on the world market,” Itar-Tass quoted Perminov as saying.
Perminov added that the Russian space budget was small: virtually equal to India’s space budget, in contrast to the United States’ budget of 16.2 billion dollars, leading the way, followed by the European Space Agency, Japan and China.
“It is quite difficult to solve global tasks in space with such small financing. Therefore, we are actively involved in international projects, earning each third rouble from such projects,” Perminov contnued.
The Federal Space Agency’s spokesman, Vyacheslav Davidenko, said the program would be presented in the Ministry of Economic Development on Thursday.
