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Future space corporation must step up research into reusable craft — Deputy PM

"The United States is pushing ahead with a total of eight reusable space vehicle projects," Rogozin said
Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket  AP Photo/John Raoux
Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket
© AP Photo/John Raoux

MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/. The yet-to-be established state space corporation Roscosmos due to replace the same-name federal agency should step up research into the creation of reusable vehicles, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said at a full-scale meeting of the State Duma on Tuesday.

"The United States, Britain, Europe, Japan and China are conducting research into re-usable space vehicles. Some have achieved the phase of experimental flights. Apparently, the affiliate of a future Roscosmos corporation should intensify research into reusable craft," Rogozin said.

In part, he recalled that the United States was developing an orbital spaceplane X-37, which had already flown three missions, and a Falcon rocket with a reusable first stage.

"The United States is pushing ahead with a total of eight reusable space vehicle projects," Rogozin said.

Financing of Russia’s manned flights program should continue

According to the official, a third of Russia’s space industry budget is spent on manned flights but financing should continue because otherwise Russia will never return to those projects.

"Yes, it is expensive, about a third of the budget of our entire federal program is spent on financing the manned flight program" Rogozin told the lawmakers.

"If these programs are stopped, we’ll be unable to return to them afterwards," he said.

Manned cosmonautics is an obvious achievement of domestic science, the vice-premier said.

"Today a foundation was laid for developing promising cosmonautics," he added.

The vice-premier said a promising manned spaceship had been showed to him during his visit to the Energiya rocket and space corporation. Rogozin said in his estimates the new spaceship far excelled the space vehicles currently used by Russian cosmonauts.

The second stage of the Vostochny cosmodrome currently under construction in the Amur Region in the Far East will accommodate a launch pad for the Angara heavy-and super heavy-class carrier rockets that will be used for an orbital station, the vice-premier said.