Saturday, September 01, 2007

Russia Announces Plans for Space Program

Russia will send a cosmonaut to the moon by 2025 with the intention of opening a lunar base by 2032, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
That may only be the beginning for the former communist nation, whose officials indicate they will send a manned flight to Mars after 2035. By the end of this year, its total number of satellites in orbit around earth will jump from 95 to 103, RIA Novosti reported.
Click here to read the RIA Novosti report.
The bold new initiatives by the Russian space program are funded mainly by tourist flights to the international space station, which are going for about $30 million a pop. Five wealthy tourists have been shipped to space since 2001, according to RIA Novosti.

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