Russia to put men on moon by 2030
March 14, 2012
The Russian space program has been struggling to rebuild its image after a handful of failed probe launches late last year. The Russian Federal Space Agency, or Roscosmos, recently announced plans to send cosmonauts to the moon by 2030, according to the Telegraph. While this may bolster interest in the program, many believe it is a waste of time, as American astronauts already touched down on the moon back in 1969.
"Back in the 1960s the Soviet Union was competing head-to-head with the United States," said Yury Karash, a correspondent from the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics, according to the news source. "But it is hard to find a better way to hurt Russian prestige and emphasize Russian technological backwardness than by sending cosmonauts to the moon around 2030, 60 years after Apollo."
Karash recommends that Roscosmos instead invests efforts on sending men to Mars. RIA Novosty reports the space agency is indeed looking into further exploration of Mars and other planets, and the lunar project is just a jumping off point to expand and improve technology.
Those who want to find out more about the Roscosmos' projects can use international phone cards to make calls to Russia and ask their friends for the latest updates.