Russia to send manned mission to Moon by 2025: Space Agency chief

Moscow, Aug 31 (UNI) Russian Space Agency (Roskosmos) chief Anatoly Perminov today said Russia was planning to send cosmonauts to the Moon by 2025 and establish a permanent manned base there in 027-2032.

In accordance with Russia's space programme up to 2040, a manned flight to Mars will be carried out after 2035, he said.

He said toward the end of this year, Russia will have 103 satellites in orbit as against 95 at present.

Mr Perminov also said there were plans for a new space centre in the country, adding a site had not yet been selected.

Currently, Russia launches all manned flights from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan.

In 2016-25, after the International Space Station (ISS) is put out of operation, Russia plans to deploy a platform in a low-earth orbit to assemble spacecraft, Mr Perminov said.

The United States wants the station to be scrapped in 2015, while Russia has proposed using the Russian segment until 2020.

"The ISS will be transformed into a laboratory complex where research will be conducted," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Perminov as saying.

UNI