MOSCOW. Oct 13 (Interfax) - The space rocket corporation Energia (based in Korolyov) has started developing advanced carrier rockets to be used in human flights to the Moon, Mars and asteroids, Energia Deputy General Director Alexander Derechin told the media.
"A flight to the Moon, Mars or asteroids is feasible if the following components are available: a carrier rocket, a manned spacecraft, a populated module, landing and takeoff sites on the Moon and Mars, as well as a chemical and solar tugs. We are working on these six elements," he said.
Derechin also said that under the draft federal space program, "the spacecraft and the carrier rocket are projected for the next decade, so Russia is lagging behind the United States."
"Almost all space nations, including China, have come to the conclusion that they cannot explore far-out space separately."
Fifty-five space agencies have signed a roadmap to explore far-out space, he said, adding that experts are deciding which way the international space science should opt for and what goals should be set at the initial stage: to fly to asteroids and then to the Moon and Mars, or to travel to the Moon first and then to asteroids and subsequently to Mars.
Derechin said, citing international experts, that the Sun-Earth LaGrange point is of great relevance as a point where the Moon's and Earth's gravitational pulls are balanced at a distance of about 60,000 kilometers from the Moon.
"If a platform or a station is located at this point, any destination around the Moon or Mars can be reached from it with minimal energy losses," Derechin said.
In this connection, a lunar orbital station project was entered on the federal space program, that can be located either at an altitude of 100 kilometers from the Moon, or at the Lagrangian point, he said.
Derechin said no site has been finally selected yet for manned spacecraft's landing on the Moon. Scientists have chosen six most likely sites. However, a lunar orbital station will have to be put in place first to maintain the crew's safety on the Moon, he added.
No country can cope with such huge spending on its own, he said in conclusion. "No country, including the United States, is going to fulfill such a program on its own. Clearly enough, the program will have both national and internationally parts," Derechin said.