OREANDA-NEWS. April 8, 2011. Vladimir Putin reported that the government decided to establish ten annual Yury Gagarin Prizes, each worth 1 million roubles, for specialists who make significant contributions to the development of the Russian space industry.

Vladimir Putin's opening address:

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

In less than a week, on April 12, we will be celebrating a remarkable date – the 50th anniversary of Yury Gagarin's space flight. That legendary event started a new chapter in human history. This was the point at which our specialists first translated their ambitious dream into an unprecedented technological and scientific project and then into a true national triumph.

I would like to convey my congratulations on this anniversary and the upcoming professional holiday to all current and former workers of Russia's space industry. It was them, the veterans of the space industry, who laid down the traditions that have allowed Russia to remain leaders in space exploration up to this day. The highly qualified specialists, including cosmonauts, engineers and researchers, are the primary asset of Russia's rocket and space industry. We are interested in raising the prestige and social recognition of these professions and drawing in young talented specialists.

I would like to point out that the government decided today to institute ten annual Yury Gagarin Prizes, each for 1 million roubles. Starting this year, these prizes will be annually awarded to specialists who make a significant contribution to the development of the Russian space industry.

Russia indeed enjoys a strong position in space exploration. We have advanced technology, highly qualified specialists, unique production facilities and the ground infrastructure needed. Russia's satellite constellation includes over 100 satellites and will be increasing gradually. Moreover, Russia along with the United States and China are the only countries that have the necessary technology and capabilities to launch manned space flights. Thus, Russia currently plays the leading role in supporting the International Space Station programme. In cooperation with our partners we decided to extend the operation of the station until 2020. In 2012 a new Russian multi-purpose lab module will be established at the ISS and three additional modules will be launched by 2016 thus completing the Russian segment of the station.

Currently Russia launches up to 40% of all space flights in the world, and I believe we can increase this by another 5% or even 10%. But we should not confine ourselves only to the role of an international space carrier. We need to expand our presence on the global space market, which has grown by 150% since 2003 to approach USD 200 billion – this is truly big business.

We should be more active in space communications, telecommunications, the remote monitoring of natural resources, weather forecasting, navigation, and environmental monitoring. I repeat: space exploration and its scientific and industrial potential are among our competitive advantages, and we take pride in them. We cannot rest on our laurels, or we will lose our leading position. It goes without saying, and we all realise this. It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. Now, we should not just remain where we are but improve our position and build up our space potential.

In 2013, we are to begin flight development tests of light and heavy Angara carrier rockets at the Plesetsk space centre. We will also design and manufacture the Rus-M launcher to orbit manned and cargo spacecraft. Testing for it is due to start in 2015, and the first manned flight is scheduled for 2018. The new rocket will be launched at the new Vostochny national space centre. Full-scale construction will begin this year to prepare the engineering and social infrastructure plus the first launchpad by 2016. When I spoke with Mr Anatoly Perminov (the head of the Federal Space Agency), we said that the social infrastructure must be ready first to offer the staff decent living conditions.

Cargo spacecraft launches from Vostochny are scheduled for 2016-2018, and we hope for the first manned spacecraft to be orbited in 2018, as I said. Later on, the majority of launches will be made there for economic purposes and to promote international cooperation. Russia will thus achieve complete independence in its access to space. We will also upgrade the Plesetsk space centre, and develop Baikonur with our Kazakh colleagues because Baikonur is the world's first space launch facility. It was there that Yury Gagarin began his flight in April 1961.

Getting back to our plans, I would like to mention that more than 30 new space units and systems must be designed and manufactured before 2015, which requires thorough industrial modernisation and major investment in research and development.

What we need is a new generation of space technology, more durable and reliable than before. We all see how much it matters. This point is clear in the GLONASS system, which I would like to use as an example. I remember that when we decided to accelerate work on this programme, I saw clearly that we would get into a vicious circle unless we radically changed the situation: we would launch more and more new spacecraft, and never have enough as the old ones quickly become obsolete. So reliability and durability are critical matters, to say nothing of quality. I am confident that our space industry will be able to meet these strategic challenges.

What matters even more is the efficient use of space technology to modernise the national economy and take a foothold in the world markets of innovative products and services. When we invest in space exploration programmes, we give people new opportunities in education, healthcare, information, and everyday safety. We must provide the greatest possible public access to "space services" across regions, communities, businesses and individuals.

We also should not forget the role played by the space industry in national defence. We will directly address issues of the space industry in modernising and re-equipping the army and the navy. Even during the economic downturn, let alone the problematic time after it, we made it a point to increase funding for space programmes. The total allocations for 2010-2011 roughly amount to 200 billion roubles.

Russia currently ranks fourth in the world in terms of annual space expenditures, which allows us to pose strategic goals, implement ambitious projects, and lay the groundwork for the future. In particular, work is underway on a space nuclear power system to base future promising space projects on. The programme and the respective installation will allow interplanetary flights, lunar exploration, and the study of primary planets. This is trailblazing R&D, no other country has anything comparable, and Russia's priority here is indisputable. We take deserved pride in it.

The Russian space fleet will grow significantly this year, including the Radioastron space observatory which is a unique ten-metre radio telescope of unprecedented resolution for deep space research, and the Canopus B satellite for the precision monitoring of natural and human-caused disasters, particularly wildfires and environmental pollution.

It's worth mentioning that our automated spacecraft were the first to reach the Moon, Venus and Mars in the 1950s-1970s. These achievements are forever written in the history of space exploration. Now, Russia is back to planetary studies. The launch of the Phobos-Grunt unmanned spacecraft for the exploration of Mars is due this year. The craft will study Phobos, one of Mars' moons, and return with soil samples.

A new federal targeted programme for GLONASS development through 2020, which I mentioned, will be endorsed this year to focus on the implementation of navigational technology in most sectors of the economy. Work is underway with ground receivers, software and unclassified navigation charts. Cutting-edge GLONASS-K satellites are being tested. GLONASS is operating on a global scale with 23 satellites whose signals are accessible worldwide. This is not enough, however. Mr Perminov, how many satellites do we have planned – 29 or 30? The problem must be addressed within the year.

The implementation of this project alone proves Russia's advanced technological status, and we have every reason to say that it can fully guarantee its navigational sovereignty, and can address economic and defence problems.

Modern navigation systems are widely employed by the Emergencies and Interior Ministries, and medical and other emergency services. Such systems coordinate rescue, healthcare and transport to great effect in Moscow, St Petersburg, the Krasnodar Territory, the Novosibirsk and Ryazan Regions, and in the Republic of Tatarstan.

Russia is emerging in foreign markets, too. GLONASS cooperation agreements have been concluded with Belarus, Cuba, India, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and some other countries. We are launching two major GLONASS-based projects that are socially significant – the introduction of the 112 telephone number to call rescue and medical services in emergencies, and the Era-GLONASS emergency service for traffic accidents, which will be spread countrywide by 2014, with devices installed in vehicles to recognise an accident at once and to call for ambulances, rescuers and traffic police.

We will also strengthen the Cospas-Sarsat international satellite search and rescue system which alerts for marine and air disasters. Launched almost 30 years ago, it has saved more than 30,000 lives. Russia is cooperating on it with the United States, Canada and France. This SAR system and the International Space Station, for which 23 countries have pooled efforts, exemplify global partnership in space efforts. Russia welcomes further cooperation. Based on our present experience with cooperation, we propose to ISS countries to study the Moon, Mars and other planets together. We have many ideas relevant to this. We know how our partners will respond to this and that, we study their responses, and we will choose the options for cooperation of the greatest interest to Russia. I call on the Federal Space Agency to join hands with the Russian Academy of Sciences for the long-term planning of space exploration. The government expects their report in August.

I would like to say in conclusion that the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Yury Gagarin's space flight will involve all of Russia, and spread far outside it. It's a tribute to the heroism of a man who changed the world. Our renowned compatriots – Tsiolkovsky, Korolyov and Gagarin – stood at the cradle of the Space Age, and we are proud of them. I am confident that Russia will make many more breakthroughs in space exploration.

Let us get down to our agenda.