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Russian space agency chief rejoices at increased funding

Posted on: Tuesday, 19 August 2003, 06:00 CDT

Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax

Zhukovskiy, 19 August: Chief of the Russian Aerospace Agency Yuriy Koptev believes that the additional R3bn allocated to space programmes will allow Russia to continue its work on the International Space Station and implement other projects.

In mid-August, the Russian government submitted a draft federal budget for 2004 to the State Duma in which spending on space programmes was increased by R3bn.

"I welcome this decision, as it allows us to continue implementing all our plans without giving preference to a particular project," Koptev told Interfax on Tuesday [19 August].

"We shall be able to develop the ISS project vigorously, although we shall mainly concentrate on means of transportation and life support, and put the minimum of what is left over into the Russian segment of the station," he said.

"But these resources are sufficient to develop the Russian orbital group, satellite communications, surveillance satellites, and to create satellites for the Russian Academy of Sciences' astrophysical programme," Koptev said.

The minimal funding that will secure Russia's status as a space power is R15.5 - 15.6bn, he said.

"A space power cannot be occupied exclusively with manned flights or satellite communication. It has a variety of interests, including the development of infrastructure, command and control complexes, and carrier vehicles. To solve these problems, we need funding of R15.5 - 15.6bn. But we are used to living cash-strapped. Taking the additional R3bn into account, we shall cope," said Koptev.

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