MOSCOW, April 12./TASS/. Russia is facing certain problems in the rocket-and-space industry, including those of external nature, but it has potentials for putting into practice all ambitious projects, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev blogged on Monday, Cosmonautics Day.
"Of course, Russia is faced with certain technological and production problems in the rocket-and-space industry. These problems are not always of internal nature. However, despite this, we have groundwork for putting into practice all the scheduled ambitious projects," Medvedev stressed.
In order to successfully compete with the US, China and other space powers, it is necessary to introduce new technologies, update production infrastructure, as well as "pay specific attention to the timely construction of facilities at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, where conditions must be created in the coming few years for testing heavy and super-heavy rockets," Medvedev said in his social media posts.
He stressed that the state is investing sizable funds in space exploration. In 2019-2021, the planned amount of budget financing is over 500 billion rubles ($6.45 billion).
"However, the economic situation in the country remains difficult. That is why it is important to wisely set priorities and make sure that the funds for the implementation of space programs are spent timely, efficiently and in full," Medvedev stressed.
Only accurate, well-coordinated and efficient work will help Russia maintain its status of a global space power, he stressed.
April 12 is marked as Cosmonautics Day. In 2021, it is 60 years since a Vostok launch vehicle orbited the Vostok-1 spacecraft with Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on board. He was the first man to have traveled to space. Vostok-1 orbited the Earth once. After re-entry Yuri Gagarin was ejected from the descent capsule and parachuted to the ground in the Saratov Region.