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Post by TsarSamuil on Nov 18, 2009 9:51:05 GMT -5
Russian engines power American spacecraft. RussiaToday.com Published 17 November, 2009, 06:03 Edited 17 November, 2009, 13:55 Some 50 years ago it would have been unheard of for Russian engines to power US spacecraft, but it’s the reality now. RT has traveled to the Russian plant that produces some of the most powerful engines in the world. From Russia across the Atlantic – and ultimately toward space: the rocket engines used for historic missions like the first spacecraft visit to Pluto are known as RD-180s. They are used to power America’s Atlas boosters, which send satellites into orbit. “The international RD-180 program is an example of the bilateral cooperation between Russia’s Energomash and the American missile building plant,” said Sergey Pitulko, Energomash company deputy CEO. “This cooperation is quite beneficial for everyone, especially because for now the production of RD-180s in the US is not set in place,” he added. The deal to supply the RD-180s was signed in 1996. Since then, Russia has sent more than 40 engines to America out of the 101 agreed. As well as NASA’s Pluto mission, they also powered the recent bombing of the moon to test for water there. From an assembly workshop to the airport, Russia’s rocket engines travel like VIPs. The journey to America happens around four times a year. But while today the technology link with the US is common enough, few could have imagined it some 50 years ago. That’s when America's Atlas rocket began its life – the era which saw the arms race at its height. It was originally designed as an intercontinental ballistic missile to deter and possibly strike the Soviet Union. Today, though, the main target is simply mutual interests between Russia and the US. “It enables Russia’s space industry to get extra income,” explained Yury Karash, a Moscow space club member. “This industry, as you know, is not currently provided for financially very well,” he said. “For America, these are good engines at a reasonable price. From the political point of view it shows how successfully Russia and the USA can work together. It contributes to the development of mutual trust and understanding between the two countries.” Over 75 years Russia’s Energomash has designed more than 50 different types of rocket engines. Among them are those that put the first artificial satellite into orbit as well as sent the first human into space. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the work of Energomash was practically abandoned. But the multi-million dollar RD-180 project has revived the space giant, taking Russian technologies to the world – and out of it. ------------------- Live docking, nice www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Nov 20, 2009 12:31:04 GMT -5
Russia launches Cosmos-series military satellite.
Russia's Space Forces on Friday launched a Soyuz-U carrier rocket with a Cosmos-series military satellite, a SF spokesman said.
He said the rocket was launched from the Plesetsk space center in north Russia and successfully orbited a satellite that was assigned the serial number Cosmos 2455.
Some experts believe the Cosmos series with 2411 and upwards could be part of Russia's Oko (Eye) orbital missile early warning network.
The Cosmos 2441 (launched on July 26, 2008) is believed to be the first in a new series of spy satellites (Persona), featuring updated imaging technology and an extended lifetime of up to seven years.
The Soyuz-U rocket is designed to orbit Soyuz and Progress manned and cargo spacecraft, as well as special-purpose satellites such as Cosmos, Resurs-F, Foton and Bion.
The rocket has payload of up to 6,950 kilograms. A Soyuz-U was last launched from Plesetsk on April 29, 2009.
Russia reportedly operates a network of 60-70 reconnaissance satellites and has carried out 16 space launches since the beginning of 2009
MOSCOW, November 20 (RIA Novosti)
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Post by TsarSamuil on Nov 21, 2009 16:41:31 GMT -5
Russia Builds New Spaceport for Lunar and Martian Missions.
18.11.2009
Pravda.Ru
Russia is equipping its spaceport at Kourou, the Space Center of French Guiana. This week it sent there two Soyuz rockets. They will be launched into space in 2010 along with the Russian boosters Vega.
At the moment, a new launch pad is being built in the Guiana Space Center for launching Russian spacecraft.
Why is Russia so interested in developing its space program in Guiana with its horrible climate and sad fame of a former French colony for incorrigible offenders? Pravda.ru interviewed Sergey Fyodorov, a senior research fellow of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Science, to discuss this issue.
“First of all, it is beneficial for Russia to enter the international space market. We have been collaborating with France in the area of aviation and space industry for a long time. The French are interested in our technologies, that’s why they opened the door that was closed for us before.
There are no rocket carriers in the world that would be comparable with the Russian ones. Ariane used by Europeans is good, but it’s designed for heavy lifting. There are no light rockets in Europe, whereas Russia has the “light” Vega and “medium” Soyuz rockets.
Besides, French specialists believe that Russian rockets are more convenient, simple, and reliable than similar European rockets. Another important factor is that the equator is located 310 miles away from Guiana, which is extremely important for launching space devices.
It is not a coincidence that the French realized the significance of their largest international department long ago and began the construction of their spaceport in 1965. A rocket launched next to the equator receives additional inertia, as if Earth is pushing it into the space. This means that a bigger payload can be carried into orbit with relatively less fuel consumption than if it had been launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.”
It seems that Kourou may become the main spaceport on the planet since it has other advantages as well. The region is risk-free in terms of natural disasters, and there is no threat of military actions. More than a half of all commercial sputniks were launched from here. The new spaceport will be beneficial for everyone since Russia would be able to send bigger and cheaper loads to orbit than before.
Russian companies involved with the space industry will be kept busy for many years, while Europeans will be provided with reliable middle-class boosters. It is not ruled out that majority of the Russian space devices will be launched from Kourou.
Anatoly Perminov, head of the Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) thinks that the construction of the rocket and space complex Soyuz-2 in Guiana space center is a new step in the development of Russia’s international relationship with the European Space Agency (ESA).
The head of the European Space Agency construction works conducted at the launch pad said that this one-of-a-kind project would result in the mixture of the best Russian and European technologies. He added that Europe is interested in the Russian system due to its simplicity, efficiency and reliability.
Traditionally, boosters are shipped to Guiana by sea. Then they are delivered to the spaceport, assembled, and prepared for launch. Specialists from Roscosmos and the ESA will manage the launch of Russian rockets together.
In November 2003, Russia and France signed a contract to start construction of the Soyuz spaceport 6 miles away from the old launch pad. All preliminary works were conducted by the ESA.
The French Space Agency (CNES) is a part of the ESA that owns most of Kourou’s infrastructure. CNES’s workers cleared the jungle, dug ditches, erected buildings, and installed utilities. In 2007, the construction of launch pads for Soyuz was commenced.
In 2008, Russian specialists began installation of the launching site and equipment for rockets launch. It is possible that not only sputniks, but also piloted space devices will be launched from the spaceport in French Guiana.
According to a representative of the ESA in French Guiana, the project now involves only two participants, Russia and Europe. India, China, and Japan are likely to join the project in the future.
Sergey Balmasov
Pravda.Ru
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Post by TsarSamuil on Nov 21, 2009 16:54:25 GMT -5
Russian Space Tech Surges Forward. 20.11.2009 Pravda.Ru With the next to the last flight of the American space shuttle in the air, the US will soon be retiring their space shuttles to replace them with a new vehicle, scheduled for 2013. Of course, seeing how things always delay in America, it is more likely 2023 is a better year. Until then, the Americans will be riding on Russian Soyuz capsules . But the Soyuz itself, a 40 year old technology with many modernizations, is on its way out, to be replaced with bigger better platforms. The replacement of the Soyuz will be the Kliper, a ship carrying 6 crew and a half ton of cargo. It is scheduled to fly its maiden voyage some time in 2010. The ship is about twice the size of the Soyuz and will require much larger rockets, most likely the Zenit class of booster rockets, in order to make orbit. It will return to earth by extending wings and gliding down, for a soft landing. Interestingly enough, if things go according to plant, the new, larger Kliper, will actually save money. The present Soyuz missions run between $20 to $30 million each (compared to the American space shuttles at around $300 million each). Kliper flights are supposed to move more equipment and people for less money, but even it the costs stay the same, with more room on the ship, there will be room for more space tourists and at $20 million per pop, the ships will earn a profit, with just one added passenger. Development of the Kliper is also priced at the low cost of $1 billion, compare that to the $10 billion for the American Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), which is still on the drawing board. But the Kliper is only the first modern step in a new plan by the Russian space agency to conquer the inner sphere of our solar system. Next on the development board is a manned spacecraft powered by a nuclear electric engine. Russia and the Soviet Union before, had developed, for decades, nuclear powered satellites, which did not have to rely upon easily damaged solar arrays, for power. Of course those put out only kilowatts of power, while this ships engines will have to run on the megawatt range. Of course, after40 years of working on this technology, this is a very realistic capability. The ship's design is scheduled to be complete by 2012 and a finished by 2021, at an estimated cost of 17 billion rubles, or $580 million. More realistic estimates put the price tag at $1 to $1.5 billion, over the next decade. The ship is aimed at flights to the Moon and to Mars, with a trip estimated to take about 39 days, one way. Nuclear electric rockets are twice as efficient as chemical rockets and most importantly, carry only a fraction of the weight in fuel. The Head of the Russian Space Agency, Anatoly Perminov was quoted as saying: "The project is aimed at implementing large scale space exploration programs, including manned missions to Mars, interplanetary travel, the creation and operation of planetary outposts." True, the space budget is below these requirements, but there have been moves from President Medvedev down to the Duma to find funding and to find partners. If the Germans or Japanese can be brought into these projects, there is no end to the possibilities. NASA astronauts may be riding in Russian ships into the very far future, especially when counting how bankrupt the Americans are. Stanislav Mishin Mat Rodina  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kliperwww.youtube.com/watch?v=mXcA8b2mkL8 |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Dec 20, 2009 23:35:22 GMT -5
Russia to start research into spacecraft nuclear engines in 2010.
Russia will launch research into nuclear engines for spaceships from 2010, the head of the Federal Space Agency said on Sunday.
"Nuclear engines for spaceships are a very promising area. Such engines should be created to make flights to Mars and other planets, for example," Anatoly Perminov said.
Perminov earlier said that the development of Megawatt-class nuclear space power systems (MCNSPS) for manned spacecraft was crucial for Russia if the country wanted to maintain a competitive edge in the space race, including the exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Perminov said that the draft design of spacecraft powered by a nuclear engine would be finalized by 2012, and the financing for further development in the next nine years would require an investment of at least 17 billion rubles (over $580 million).
Anatoly Koroteyev, president of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics and head of the Keldysh research center, earlier said that the key scientific and technical problem in sending manned missions to the Moon and Mars was the development of new propulsion systems and energy supplies with a high degree of energy-mass efficiency.
The current capabilities of the Russian space industry are clearly insufficient either to set up a permanent base on the Moon or accomplish an independent manned mission to Mars, he said.
BAIKONUR SPACE CENTER (Kazakhstan), December 20 (RIA Novosti)
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Post by TsarSamuil on Jan 12, 2010 8:50:26 GMT -5
Russia to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft. RussiaToday.com 12 January, 2010, 10:14 The Russian government plans to allocate millions of dollars to develop a spacecraft propelled by nuclear power. The proposed design could provide the only feasible way to travel to Mars. Some $600 million will be spent on developing the spacecraft, whose nuclear-powered engine will allow it to enter orbit without relying on energy from other sources. The spacecraft’s engine is also expected to be significantly lighter, allowing it to travel faster. Andrey Ionin, an expert on space research, says the project will open doors for multi-lateral collaboration. “A project as large-scale as a flight to Mars cannot be carried out by a single country, not even the United States,” Ionin noted. “If Russia were to contribute this technology to the global space project, it would be a great contribution indeed. This is a great design. No one has anything like it. And this would make Russia a full-fledged partner in this truly universal endeavor.” Yury Karash, another space expert, shares Ionin’s enthusiasm about the project’s significance. He said that “Russia has a fairly good chance of being the first country to launch a non-landing expedition to Mars in 12-14 years, providing that adequate funding will be allocated for the project." Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union have previous experience with nuclear-powered spacecraft, having worked on its research and development in the 1950s and 1960s. However, after some success, the projects were abandoned. In the meantime, skeptics warn about the potential risks of the project, referring to past tragic incidents such as the crash of the Columbia space shuttle in 2003. The main cause for alarm is the thought of what could happen if the nuclear-powered spacecraft were to crash, producing consequences similar to those of the Chernobyl disaster. The draft design of the spacecraft is slated to be ready by 2012, while the actual model is expected to be developed by 2018. Vid, rt.com/Top_News/2010-01-12/nuclear-spacecraft-space-mars.html |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Jan 28, 2010 11:33:27 GMT -5
Russia orbits military satellite.
Russia on Thursday put a new military satellite into orbit, a spokesman for the Space Forces said.
Alexei Zolotukhin said the Raduga-series satellite was launched with a Proton-M rocket from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.
Space Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Oleg Ostapenko said the satellite "is a new project that will help significantly increase the capabilities of the space communication system."
Russia reportedly operates a constellation of 60-70 military satellites with reconnaissance, missile early warning and other capabilities.
Ostapenko earlier said Russia would be using new-generation Angara-class carrier rockets for launches from the Plesetsk center to reduce Moscow's dependence on Baikonur, the main launch facility for the current generation of Russian rockets.
MOSCOW, January 28 (RIA Novosti)
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Post by TsarSamuil on Jan 29, 2010 12:27:41 GMT -5
Good old Buran!
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Post by TsarSamuil on Apr 14, 2010 8:48:25 GMT -5
Space plans outlined on Cosmonauts’ Day.
RussiaToday.com
12 April, 2010, 13:35
As Russia celebrates 49 years since the first manned orbital launch, head of the national space agency has outlined its immediate plans. He brings bad news for tourists and optimism for a Mars satellite sampling mission.
The upcoming years are going to be busy for the Russian space agency Roscosmos, Anatoly Perminov told Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper. Soon rotation of the now extended crew of the International Space Station will rely solely on Russia. By year’s end, three more Soyuz spacecraft will deliver nine explorers to the station and return nine people to Earth.
This is good news for the industry, but probably bad news for eager would-be space tourists. Perminov doubts that a ticket to orbit will be offered for sale any time soon, and even plans for a private company to commission a Soyuz spacecraft for tourist use are unlikely to materialize, considering the number of orders from Roscosmos and the 2.5-year production period.
On the supply side, European and Japanese freighters will work hand in hand with Russian Progress spacecraft to deliver cargo to the ISS. Russia plans five more Progress-M launches this year. Private firm SpaceX may also provide the services of its Dragon freighter for the station.
The ISS remains among the biggest priorities in the Russian space program. Recently, participants of the collaboration agreed to prolong it till 2020, and some parts of the station are anticipated to be still in use up to 2028.
Down on the ground, the Russian cosmonaut crew will soon have some new recruits. Among the eight candidates is a woman, Perinov said. If she is selected, she will become the second active female cosmonaut in the squad, joining Elena Serova.
By the end of year, Roscosmos is to launch RadioAston orbital radio telescope. And next year, a Phobos-Grunt mission is to travel to Mars’ satellite. The automated craft will sample Phobos’ soil and return with it to Earth.
Among more distant plans of the agency is the development of the Angara rocket family, the future Russian launch workhorse. The first launch of the rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome is scheduled for the next year, but is likely to be postponed till 2012. The rocket itself is 80 per cent ready, Perminov said, and ground tests of its building block – the Universal Rocket Module – have been a success. However the development of launch facilities is lagging behind due to funding shortages.
Another prospective project is the development of a nuclear spacecraft engine. Roscosmos estimates the project at several billion dollars and plans to publish first design details in 2012. The engine will be ready for testing in space by 2018, Perminov said.
In 2011, construction of Russia’s new Cosmodrome Vostochny in the Far Eastern Amur region begins. The first launch from the site is expected in 2015. Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome also receives its share of investment. Russia and Kazakhstan are building a new launch pad, Baiterek, there, which will be used for future Angara launches.
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Post by TsarSamuil on Apr 21, 2010 19:09:13 GMT -5
Russia To Build Submarine-Detecting Satellite.
Moscow, Russia (RIA Novosti) Apr 21, 2010
Russia could build a satellite for the detection and tracking of submarines from space, a defense industry spokesman said on Thursday.
Vladimir Boldyrev, of the Kosmonit science and technology center, said the group had developed a space satellite module that could carry out remote sensing of the sea and "detect submerged submarines."
"Hopefully, it will be tested in space as early as 2011," he said, adding that work on the module started over a decade ago.
He offered no indication as to when the new satellite would enter service with the Russian Armed Forces.
Boldyrev added that the dual-use module would be used for both defense and civilian purposes, in particular, providing meteorological data.
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Post by TsarSamuil on Apr 23, 2010 9:00:24 GMT -5
....note, not developed by NASA, but by us airforce...Russia has to stop playing nice, and create space weapons, stealth missiles n what not, the cowboys aren't interested in peace. ------ Vid, rt.com/Top_News/2010-04-23/x37b-spacecraft-us-military.html“America’s new spacecraft may be designed for Star Wars” RussiaToday.com 23 April, 2010, 09:32 The US military has launched a new type of spacecraft into orbit from Cape Canaveral. The unmanned X-37B has caused speculation about it having been developed for military purposes. According to the US Air Force, the winged spacecraft is set to be a platform for unspecified experiments and is able to stay on orbit for to 270 days, AP reported. US Air Force said that the launch was a success. However, no further details have been released. Meanwhile, there is growing speculation the spaceship could be used for military gains. “When the Air Force spends this much money on a program, they see some potential, military usefulness in it,” said former director of US Advanced Space Programs Development Robert M. Bowman. ”One possible mission would be the destruction of opposing military satellites, gaining absolute military control of space. The second would be to destroy targets on the surface of the Earth from space without warning. These two missions were the missions assigned to the Department of Defense in 1982 by Ronald Reagan in his secret defense guidance document,” says Bowman. |
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 7, 2010 10:52:58 GMT -5
cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=32074Polish 'hamster' to extract soil from Martian moon. [Date: 2010-05-05] The Space Research Centre at the Polish Academy of Sciences (SRC PAS) in Warsaw, Poland has begun work on a unique 'geological penetrator' that will be used to extract a soil sample from the surface of Phobos, one of Mars' two moons. Dubbed 'CHOMIK' (which is Polish for hamster), the tool will contribute to the Russian space mission Phobos Sample Return. Due to be launched in 2011, the mission will give space scientists vital information about the mysterious Martian moon. The unique geological penetrator is being designed at the Space Mechatronics and Robotics Laboratory at the SRC PAS. CHOMIK's task of collecting the soil sample and returning it to Earth for analysis makes it one of the most important parts of the Phobos Sample Return mission. The spacecraft will be launched in November 2011. It will reach the orbit of Mars 11 months later and is scheduled to land on Phobos at the beginning of 2013. It will take off again a month later after extracting the soil sample that will be brought back to Earth in a secure capsule. If all goes well, the re-entry module will land in Kazakhstan in 2014. 'Assuming everything goes according to plan, in a few years we will be in possession of the first object acquired from a different planet's moon,' said SRC PAS engineer Karol Seweryn. Polish scientists will have the opportunity to participate in the analysis of the Phobos soil sample thanks to an agreement between the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Lavochkin Association (one of the largest Russian aerospace companies). Phobos orbits Mars at a distance of only 9,400 km, which is about 40 times less than the distance between the Earth and its moon. Phobos has been of great interest to space scientists for years because of its low density, low gravity and unusual orbit. A theory was even posited in the mid 20th century that it could be artificial - made by hypothetical Martians! Space scientists now know that Phobos is a natural object with probably both a solid and porous structure. Some scientists believe Phobos is similar to the outer part of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, while other theories suggest that Phobos was not captured by Mars, but was in fact created in orbit after the planet was formed. 'The results of the sample collected by our penetrator will be crucial in solving the mystery of Phobos' origins,' commented Dr Joanna Gurgurewicz from SRC PAS. Although Phobos measures less than 30 km across, it is the larger of Mars' two moons and is the nearest to the planet. Its low gravity means it is attractive for space missions because the escape velocity of 11m/s means that landing and take-off are fairly simple. 'For the operators of a spacecraft, low gravity is an advantage. However, with a device that is supposed to be inserted into the soil, it becomes a major problem,' pointed out Professor Jerzy Grygorczuk, an engineer at SRC PAS. The low gravity on Phobos means that normally, every insertion of a penetrator into the soil would push the space lander away from the surface. However, because of its design, the CHOMIK penetrator will be able to insert itself into the soil with only minimal assistance from the lander. 'CHOMIK will collect the sample in the case that the moon's surface is too hard for other manipulators designed for loose soil,' Professor Grygorczuk said. The device will also measure the thermal and mechanical properties of the surface of Phobos. Work being carried out at SRC PAS contributes to the EU and European Space Agency's space programme. The organisation has taken part in many prestigious space missions, including designing sensors for the CASSINI mission which landed on Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons. Current projects include the development of a device called 'KRET', which will be used for geological studies of the Moon as part of the International Lunar Network. The KRET device has a unique mechanical structure which was designed and built by entirely by Polish scientists and engineers. For more information, please visit: Polish Academy of Sciences: www.english.pan.pl/ European Space Agency (ESA): www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html International Lunar Network: science.nasa.gov/missions/iln/
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 11, 2010 9:16:36 GMT -5
Vid, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8674102.stmRussian sat-nav almost complete. Bbc.co.uk Tuesday, 11 May 2010 06:45 UK Russia's answer to the US Global Positioning System, Glonass, is nearing completion with almost all of its satellites in place. First planned in the 1970s, the Global Navigation Satellite System was intended for use by the army only, but later became a dual military and civilian project. But Russia now says it wants the system to work together with GPS, rather than being a direct competitor. Katia Moskvitch reports from Moscow. |
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 13, 2010 9:16:38 GMT -5
Russia's space defenses in shambles - experts.
A group of retired Russian generals warned on Thursday that the country's space defenses are obsolete and have a limited capability to counter possible threats from space.
"Frankly, our space defense capabilities are limited and insufficient to ensure our national security," former Air Force commander Anatoly Kornukov told a roundtable on the future of Russia's air and space defenses in Moscow.
He said Russia is lagging behind the United States in the development of space-based weapons and space defense systems by at least 25-30 years and the Russian defense industry cannot meet the demand for advanced weaponry.
The Russian political and military leadership have long announced plans to develop strong missile and space defenses by 2020, but no concrete steps have been taken so far and the country doesn't even have a well-defined command structure to tackle this problem, Kornukov said.
The former head of armament procurement for the Russian Armed Forces, Anatoly Sitnov, said Russia had lost more than 300 unique technologies in the sphere of space and missile development in the past few years.
The list of abandoned projects includes a shuttle space freighter, the Mriya strategic airlift plane, a manned military spacecraft and several missile projects.
"Who owns space - owns the world. When we tried to test laser weapons in space we were told that the militarization of outer space must not occur and we stopped, but the United States has started and continues to test these weapons even today," Sitnov said.
"The development of air and space defense systems requires a serious and long-term research...it is all now a shambles. Our defense industry players are not interested in the development of space defense systems because the expenses are huge, but the return on investment is long-term," he added.
The Russian military plans to build a comprehensive air and space defense network consisting of S-400 Triumf and future S-500 air defense systems and the Soviet-era MiG-31 Foxhound supersonic interceptors.
The S-500 system is expected to have an extended range of up to 600 km (over 370 miles) and simultaneously engage up to 10 targets. The system will be capable of destroying hypersonic and ballistic targets.
MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti)
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 18, 2010 18:24:27 GMT -5
Russia, U.S. may jointly develop spacecraft engines.
Russia and the United States may soon reach an agreement on the joint development of new engines for spacecraft designed for exploration of deep space, a Russian deputy prime minister said.
Sergei Ivanov said on Monday during a U.S. visit that future exploration of outer space will require nuclear-powered engines for carrier rockets and spacecraft, and work on these costly development projects should start as soon as possible.
"A decision [on Russian-U.S. cooperation in this area] may be adopted soon, probably during the upcoming visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the United States," Ivanov told reporters in Washington.
U.S. President Barack Obama wants to cut NASA's development of a new carrier rocket and turn launches of astronauts over to private companies. His plans have been criticized for leaving the United States overly reliant on Russia for missions to the International Space Station (ISS) after the Space Shuttle fleet is retired later this year.
Ivanov said Moscow and Washington had been effectively cooperating in the sphere of space exploration but with the expiration of the service life of the ISS in 2020 both countries should have new space projects to apply their joint efforts.
"It is a very ambitious task, a serious challenge both in technological and financial terms. That is why we realize that we can achieve the goal only by joining technological and financial efforts of both countries with participation of international community," Ivanov said.
The Russian government allocated 500 million rubles ($16.7 million) in 2010 to start a project to build a spacecraft with a nuclear engine. NASA started a program to develop a nuclear propulsion system in 2003, and spent several hundred million dollars on the project before cutting it back.
The head of the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said in January that the draft design of spacecraft powered by a nuclear engine would be finalized by 2012, and the financing for further development in the next nine years would require an investment of at least 17 billion rubles (over $580 million).
Anatoly Perminov said nuclear engines for spaceships were a very promising area and should be created to make flights to Mars and other planets. Solar power is used for missions to the inner planets, but at distances beyond Earth's orbit the sun's energy is too weak to be used as a power source.
WASHINGTON, May 18 (RIA Novosti)
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