Russia Adopts New State Policy for Outer Space - Roscosmos

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2020) Russia's updated state policy on space has been adopted in accordance with a presidential order, the first deputy director of Russian space agency Roscosmos, Yury Urlichich, said on Tuesday.

"Yesterday, the president's order approved the foundations of state policy in the field of space activities. They are new and, first and foremost, include the development of the orbital grouping, access to outer space from [Russia's] own territory, and, of course, fundamental and scientific research without which the exploration of and expansion in space are impossible," Urlichich said during the annual Academic Space Conference named after Soviet rocket engineer Sergei Korolev.

According to him, the new policy also addresses manned space exploration.

"We have to become not only the species that inhabits the Earth but, apparently, also the species that can leave the Earth, if necessary," Urlichich said.

The country's previous space policy was adopted by a presidential decree in 2013 and was supposed to remain in effect "by 2030 and beyond."