Moscow: Russia is set to develop a
nuclear-propelled spaceship for the future lunar and
inter-planetary missions, a top Russian space official said on Wednesday.
"We have developed a design for a manned spacecraft
powered by a nuclear engine," Chief of Russian Federal Space
Agency Roskosmos Anatoly Perminov said.
Speaking at a meeting of the presidential commission
on the modernisation of the Russian economy, Perminov said the
design of the spacecraft would be finalised by 2012 and would
require further financing of USD 580 million over next nine
years.
He said the development of Megawatt-class nuclear
space propulsion 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.
Quoting President of Russian Academy of Cosmonautics
Anatoly Koroteyev, government-run new agency RIA Novosti said
the key scientific and technical problem in sending manned
missions to the Moon and Mars was behind the development of
new propulsion systems and energy supplies with a high ratio
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," Koroteyev said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 22:31