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Ukraine Space Industry Growing

Posted on: Tuesday, 8 February 2005, 18:00 CST

The Ukrainian space industry grew by 16 percent last year, the country's national space agency reported.

Earnings from the industry's products reached more than $200 million in 2004, or 12 percent more than in 2003, according to Oleksandr Negoda, director general of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. Some 38 percent of the products were sold abroad, he said.

Of the 54 space launches worldwide last year, NSAU carried out seven, sending 15 spacecraft into orbit, according to Negoda.

The foundation of Ukraine's space potential is its launch vehicles, including the Zenit, Cyclone and Dnepr rockets.

The preservation and further development of these existing launch vehicles and the expansion of Ukraine's share of the world space market are among NSAU's primary objectives for 2005, Negoda said.

Currently, the country is aiming at launching the Ukrainian Cyclone-4 rocket from Brazil's Alcantara launch center near the equator. In addition, NSAU carries out its launches at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia and on Sea Launch, the ocean-going platform.

Source: United Press International

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