Russia’s Space Agency Chief Sets Out Plans for 2007
In 2007, Russia plans to launch some 20 space rockets under the federal space programme and military projects, Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) head Anatoliy Perminov has said. Two launches of manned Soyuz craft and four launches of Progress cargo craft are scheduled for 2007. Over R35bn will be allocated to implement space programmes in Russia in 2007. The intention is, by 2015, to have three to four major integrated structures in the space industry. Russia’s current projects include modifications to the Soyuz launch vehicle and the Glonass system. As indicated by Perminov, work is also under way on a 30-year development programme. The following is the text of an article in the Russian military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda on 27 December:
Head of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) Anatoliy Perminov talked about the plans for Russia’s space activity in 2007, as well as the prospects for the conquest of outer space in the more distant future. During this period, Russia plans not only to maintain but also considerably to bolster its positions in the conquest of space.
As Anatoliy Perminov stated, in Russia the work associated with the conquest of space essentially constitutes a major national project. Our mission consists of introducing all of the sector’s achievements on the ground in the regions. The head of Roskosmos announced that the agency had signed cooperation agreements with 38 governors. This work is being performed most comprehensively in Yaroslavl and Kaluga regions.
Space technologies are being utilized within the system of management, land-evaluation activities, industry, transportation, and other areas. Their application to the forestry sector, for instance, has produced a saving of tens of billions of roubles. Russia is unrivalled worldwide in its use of space vehicles in the interests of oil and gas exploration. We are also prepared to assist our partners in this – Kazakhstan specifically.
As Anatoliy Perminov pointed out, “the president of Russia has tasked Roskosmos with giving consideration to the principal areas of the country’s space activities as a whole, for a period of some 30 years – through 2040, that is to say”.
The document will include areas such as the development of Russia’s space-launch complexes, and orbital groupings – including groupings of communications and weather observation satellites; the prospects for launch vehicles and the ground-based space infrastructure; and questions of supporting the country’s defence capability in the space arena. The new programme will also include issues relating to investigation of the planets of the solar system – the Moon, Mars, and so on.
As far as the new year of 2007 is concerned, it is planned to conduct around 20 launches of Russian space rockets under the Federal Space Programme and other programmes of the militarized departments, mainly the Ministry of Defence.
In Anatoliy Perminov’s opinion, the most important missions of 2007 are the scheduled launches of a new small-scale vehicle for the Cospas-Sarsat search-and-rescue system. It is also intended to complete development work on the modified Soyuz-2 launch vehicle in the new year. Launches of different variants of this rocket – including the Soyuz-2-1a and Soyuz-2-1b – were conducted in 2006.
Today, as it happens, it is planned to launch from Baykonur a modification of the Soyuz-2-1b carrying the French COROT vehicle. It is planned to operate the same modification from Guyana’s Kourou spaceport. In addition, two launches of manned Soyuz craft and four launches of Progress freighters are scheduled for 2007.
Anatoliy Perminov announced that over R35bn would be allocated to implement space programmes in Russia in 2007.
Some R24.4bn will be allocated in 2007 within the framework of the Federal Space Programme. In addition, Russia is implementing two further programmes in this area – a federal targeted programme for the development of Russia’s space-launch complexes and a federal targeted programme for the Glonass global navigation satellite system – at a total amount in the region of R10bn. Moreover, military space outlays constitute a separate entry in the state defence order.
It is intended that by 2015 Russia will have three to four major space rocket holding structures, and Roskosmos will strictly adhere to this plan. Today the sector encompasses 112 top plants with a workforce of 240,000 people. As these amalgamated corporations are established, the number of enterprises and employees will fall by virtue of the optimization and unification of the production process. As Anatoliy Perminov pointed out, there is currently around 30-40 per cent excess capacity at Roskosmos enterprises.
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