MOSCOW, December 9 (AVN) - Russia has launched 35 satellites this year, Strategic Missile Forces Commander Vladimir Yakovlev said on Thursday.
"Space exploration was one of the few budget items which were fully financed in 1999," Yakovlev told the Military News Agency.
Speaking about technical conditions of Russian planetoids, Yakovlev stressed that one of the top-importance tasks at present is to extend the lifetime of satellites. Most of them can only serve for three years. Starting from next year, Russia will launch satellites with lifetime of five to ten years.
Besides, the Strategic Missile Forces will reduce the number of booster rocket types from nine to three by 2005, Yakovlev said.
According to information obtained by the Agency, all planetoids launched by Russia this year are double-purpose satellites.