Update: Russian plans for Helium-3 extra-terrestrial energy > Russia plans to launch first flight to the Moon in 2011-2012
RIA Novosti in Moscow reported on Aug 31, 006 that:
"Russia plans to conduct its first manned flight around the Moon in 2011-2012, the president of a leading spacecraft company said Thursday.
"The Energia Rocket and Space Corporation plans to explore the Moon in three stages: a Soyuz spacecraft flight to the Moon, the construction of a permanent base on the Moon (from 2010 to 2025), and the industrial exploration of space around the Earth's satellite," Nikolai Sevastyanov said at the 5th Airspace Congress in the Russian capital.
He said the main goals of the lunar exploration would be to conduct astrophysical research from its surface, to transfer environmentally unfriendly industries from the Earth to the Moon, and to extract raw materials, including helium-3, to meet increasing energy demand on the Earth..[The typical Soviet approach...During the days of the U.S.S.R. dirty industries were located "next door" in the other Soviet republics, away from Moscow....Today and Tomorrow the NIMBY tradition continues....let's export the problem next door,"cosmologically speaking, instead of investing money to design a greener, more environmentally-friendly, craddle to grave manufacturing process.]
According to RIA Novosti, "Helium-3 is a rare earth metal, which is abundant on the Moon, and is used in nuclear power reactors as well as being a conductor. It is also used in microchip and related technologies."
Russia is planning to use a modernized version of the Soyuz manned spacecraft, the workforce of the Russian space fleet, for the flights to the Moon, Sevastyanov said, adding that the first spacecraft would be ready in 2010.
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"Energia has started the development of a modernized Soyuz spacecraft," Sevastyanov said.
"New digital technologies will be used during the development and operation of the new spacecraft," he said. "Besides, the new space vehicle will be able to conduct flights not only to the International Space Station, but also to the Moon."
Sevastyanov said the Russian Space Agency and the European Space Agency had already expressed their support for the project and the first modernized Soyuz.
Source: RIA Novosti
Also see Jan. 28, 2006 Lunar base- Sino-Russian cooperation
and Jan. 25, 2006 The New Russian-Sino Energy Space Race
and Nature
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