Russian Lunar Program Can Be Alternative to Lunar-Orbit Space Station - Research Institute

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2019) The Russian program for Moon exploration could give a chance for further space exploration activities to the international community and become a good alternative to the US-proposed lunar-orbit space station project, director of the Space Research Institute of the Russian academy of Sciences, Anatoly Petrukovich, told Sputnik in an interview.

"Any movement toward the Moon is so expensive and complicated that it hardly can be done without international cooperation. So far in the world, with the exception of the US proposal to create a lunar-orbit station, there are no well-developed programs that other countries could carry out.

We intend to offer Russian vision that could be discussed with foreign partners," Petrukovich said.

The United States has presented a project for an international lunar-orbit station. Participants of the International Space Station, including Russia, are invited to participate in its construction. The decision on the format of participation in this project will be made after the development of the Russian national concept for Moon exploration, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said. Such a concept should be prepared by March.