Vladimir Putin is strategically planning space missions in the ongoing competition for space dominance.
Deputy premier Denis Manturov of the Kremlin unveiled Putin’s grand aspirations for the Russian space program. The 73-year-old leader is particularly captivated by Venus, known as the “Goddess of Love’s Planet,” which holds historical significance for Russia’s space endeavors.
In a groundbreaking achievement, the Soviet Union achieved the first successful soft landing on another planet with the Venera 7 probe touching down on Venus on December 15, 1970, marking a pivotal moment in the space race.
Manturov emphasized that research missions to the Moon and Venus are pivotal in the plans of Roscosmos and the Russian Academy of Sciences for exploring celestial bodies. He stressed the need for innovative engineering solutions and the involvement of talented and audacious individuals to tackle the challenges ahead.
Putin aims to build on the success of the unmanned Venera 7 mission to Venus in 1970. Speculations suggest a potential Venus launch from the Moon, where Putin envisions establishing a lunar nuclear power plant within the next decade.
Recently, Manturov, aged 57, was bestowed with Russia’s highest honor, the Hero of Russia award, by Putin. This recognition, ostensibly for achievements in the Russian war and defense industry, was met with skepticism by political analyst and former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov.
There are rising concerns that space could become the next arena for superpower conflicts, with China also intensifying its lunar ambitions. China has set a target to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, as it progresses with its space station missions.
China’s latest team of astronauts embarked on a mission to the Tiangong space station on October 31, as part of its comprehensive space exploration agenda. The astronauts conduct research inside the station for six-month durations as part of the ongoing mission.
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