Russia to create Moon-linked transport system

Russia will build a permanently working transport system in 6-7 years that will be able to reach the Moon, Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin said on Thursday.

"Today the Russian Federation has the sole space transport system so far. We have carrier rockets and manned spacecraft. Ballistics specialists of the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation have made calculations of our possibilities. In about 6-7 years, we will be able, using already the Angara-A5 rocket, in case that it blasts off from the Vostochny spaceport beginning from 2023-2024, we will be able, even using the current manned spacecraft, to ensure the permanently operating transport system capable of reaching the Moon and working in the lunar orbit," the Roscosmos chief said.

So far, Americans are planning their expedition without having the necessary spacecraft, Rogozin said.

"Even after the tests of their new manned spacecraft, the American partners will come to the conclusion that it is impossible to fly independently to the lunar orbit and, all the more so, to land on the lunar surface without the existence of another transport system. This is very dangerous and involves great risks, which our US colleagues, being reasonable people, will never undertake," the Roscosmos chief said.
Cooperation in deep space

Russia will also cooperate with other partners in deep space exploration instead of Americans, if politics takes the upper hand in the United States, Rogozin said.

"You just need to distinguish political declarations linked with national ambitions. From the viewpoint of doing things, it is necessary to work within the framework of the parity-based and mutually respectful cooperation, which we have developed on the ISS [International Space Station] and which needs to be included in future programs," the Roscosmos chief said.