According to RosCosmos, Russia has four main priorities in space. Here are a few words about each of them.

First priority is creating domestic orbital groups, consisting of certain space vehicles, in order to meet demands of the country’s safety and defense, as well as adjusting spaceships to social, economic and scientific spheres. Russian space authorities have a plan to create and later develop a common information space, covering all Russian territories. This space will consist of space systems, providing telecommunication services, navigation, coordinate and time orientation, as well as expanding participation of Russian in international community of providers of similar systems and services.

The deadline is 2015. RosCosmos promises to provide constant space monitoring of our planet and its atmosphere, as well as environment and near-earth space, mapping, tracking emergency situations and ecological disasters. Science is expected to develop technologies for coordinate and time and navigational support. Before the deadline Russian engineers will test in space unique industrial technologies for making semiconductors, highly purified materials and biological agents. Production is scheduled for start in 2020.

Another important thing is to ensure Russia will have access to space and would be able to act there independently when needed. Russian authorities suggest developing national network of launching sites, which includes new launching site Vostochny, located in the Amur region. RosCosmos will continue reforms in rocket-and-space industry and provide new equipment for ground control centres of communication systems, as well as for experiments and production sites.

 

 

One more priority is fulfillment of Russia’s international agreements, including those on International space station. RosCosmos plans to finish assembly of Russian segment of ISS in 2014 and provide normal operation of the station up to 2020. In 2018 Russian authorities expect to develop and introduce advanced system of transport and engineering support, which will be based upon manned and unmanned transport vehicles of new generation.

The last but not the least emphasis of Russian space programme is performing research of planets and other celestial bodies of the Solar System – we need more fundamental knowledge about surrounding world. Scientists are longing for starting search for extraterrestrial life, studying mechanisms of Earth’s evolution and finding applications of extraterrestrial resources.

RosCosmos also claims that Russian presence at the world market of space products and services should be much sounder. Challenging perspective is holding leading positions at most important for Russia market segments – commercial launches, for instance, where Russia shares 30% of world market. Our country also needs access to most high-tech parts of world space market, such as production of terrestrial equipment, satellite communication and navigation, Earth’s remote sensing and hardware for final use of the GLONASS system.

Source: Science & Technology

Kizilova Anna