MOSCOW. March 12 (Interfax-AVN) - Roscosmos plans to install a "beacon" on Asteroid Apophis to monitor the trajectory of the object jeopardizing the Earth, Roscosmos head Vladimir Popovkin told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday.
"We want to install a "beacon" on Asteroid Apophis to update parameters of its orbit and to make a plan ahead of the dangerous approach anticipated in 2036," he said.
In addition, Russia may draft a preliminary program of space threat deterrence in the end of 2013.
"There are three plans now, namely the Russian Academy of Sciences' program to develop optical observation means, the Roscosmos program and the Defense Ministry's space control plan. They need to be merged into one," he said.