Russian Space Troops Have Enough Funds to Fight Asteroid Threat

The [Russian] Space Troops are actively cooperating with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in protecting Earth from space debris, Maj- Gen Vladimir Derkach, deputy Space Troops commander-in-chief, has said.

Protection of space objects and Earth "is a topical issue today and joint work is being carried out in this sphere", Derkach told journalists on Saturday [21 June].

According to him, "interaction began long ago but it was secret because security of entire Earth was involved".

Answering a question about the fight against asteroid threat, the general said that "the Space Troops have the funds necessary for solving this task but this issue is of more relevance to the Russian Academy of Sciences and the ground-based system of observation posts." [Passage omitted to end]