MOSCOW. Oct 19 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has called on the United States and other space exploring countries to share in the Kosmoport project in which the Energiya launching complex in Baikonur would be used to send flights to Mars and the Moon.
"The construction of Kosmoport will make it possible to use launching vehicles in interplanetary travel and exploration of the solar system's planets" Vyacheslav Davidenko, press secretary of the Russian Federal Space Agency, told Interfax on Monday.
"The most important missions in the project will be a manned flight to Mars and the construction of a lunar space base," he said.
"Kosmoport will rely on the Stand-Start universal complex intended for testing and launching an Energia launching vehicle in the program of the multiple use Energia-Buran system," Davidenko said.
"Kosmoport could breath new life into the system and make it unnecessary for participants in the future international venture to make large investments in the Earth-based space infrastructure. Such an infrastructure is available. What is needed is to adapt it to new projects," he said.
A NASA delegation headed by NASA Deputy Administrator Fred Gregory which visited Baikonur on Sunday saw numerous installations there, in particular the Stand-Start complex.