GORKI, Moscow region. Jan 23 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia should double the number of space launches in 2019, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov told journalists on Wednesday.
"We have to carry out up to 45 launches this year. This is twice as many launch services as in 2018. These are ambitious plans, but, with the proper organization of work, certainly, this will have to be done," Borisov told journalists following a meeting hosted by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and devoted to the financial and economic condition of Roscosmos and its affiliates.
Russia carried out 21 launches in 2018 and has dropped from first to third place in terms of the number of space launches in the past several years, he said.
"The industry has been plagued by failures since 2014. Two unsuccessful launches in 2014 and 2015, and then in 2016, and then in 2017. Plus the well-known Soyuz incident last year. Thank God it didn't claim any lives," Borisov said.
These incidents have caused reputational damage to Roscosmos and its affiliates, he said.