Russia to spend $2 b for Moon developing

The head of Russian Extraterrestrial complex "Energia" Nikolai Sevastyanov says Russia is planning to spend about $2 bln for the Moon flight program.

It is possible to make it in three flights by using serial rockets. He noticed USA space budget provides $11 bln for such requirements, "RIA Novosti" informs.

Representatives of "Energia" with a company Space Adventures, Ltd. have announced commencement of realization of a project for the Moon flyby using streamlined spaceship "Soyuz" with a crew composed of one professional astronaut and two laity tourinsts. The project is to be realized by 2010 and it is planned to perfect technology for the Moon developing program during this project realization.

USA are going to use well-polished previous years technology in their Moon program. First flight will be after 2012 and men landing was planned at the end of next ten years.

China has its own ideas of the Moon developing, three-phase program realization has begun already. First pilotless research satellite to be launched to the Moon at 2007. Scientists are going to realize the second phase at 2012: landing of pilotless device on the lunar surface for surroundings study and carrying out chemical analyses of the lunar surface. Third phase will be realized at 2017: a pilotless spaceship will fly to the Moon and collect lunar core boring and return to the Earth with those stratum. China is going to land its citizens there and create an inhabited base later.

sections: Nature & Health