Russia to prioritize satellites developmentMarch 22, 2012 - 20:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia will prioritize the development of its satellites over manned spaceflight, aiming to boost the country’s economy, the head of the Federal Space Agency Vladimir Popovkin said on Thursday, March 22, RIA Novosti reported. “Our main priority is not manned spaceflight, launch vehicles or space infrastructure, but the creation of an orbital cluster that would help improve people’s lives,” Vladimir Popovkin said at a conference in Moscow. “Farmers, businessmen and individuals alike should profit from results of [our] space activity,” he said, naming weather satellites and the Glonass navigation system as two important components of the orbital cluster to get special attention in the future. The new priorities are outlined in the agency’s space exploration strategy until 2030, which was filed with the government in mid-March, Popovkin said. He did not specify when the document will be publicly released. The program seeks to boost Russia’s share of the global space market from 0.5 percent to 10 percent, increasing the number of home-made satellites, sending a man to the Moon, establishing a permanent mission on Mars and sending probes to Venus and Jupiter, according to Kommersant, which obtained the draft of the document. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | SBP instant transfers now available from 190 Russian banks to Armenia To receive money from Russian banks, easywallet users need to go to their easywallet accounts. Armenia's Davit Chaloyan qualifies for Paris Olympics The Armenian boxer qualified for Paris Olympics after a series of successful bouts at the 2nd World Qualification Tournament. Lemkin Institute urges Armenia to respect people’s right to dissent The Lemkin Institute has urged the Armenian government to respect people’s fundamental human right to express their dissent. French-Armenian journalist returns to France after 41-day hunger strike Nicolian said on social media on Sunday, June 2 that he needs to improve his health in order to “continue the fight”. |