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Approving a plan
submitted by Russian space agency Roscosmos in January, Medvedev
ordered Russia's space program budget for 2016-2025 to be cut
from 2 trillion rubles ($29.24 billion) to 1.4 trillion rubles.
"It is a large program, but we need such big programs, even in
circumstances when all is not well with the economy," TASS news
agency quoted Medvedev as saying.
Space exploration is a subject of national pride in Russia,
rooted in the Cold War "space race" with the United States, and
has been touted by President Vladimir Putin as a symbol of his
country's resurgent global standing.
But along with other large-scale and costly projects, such as
preparations for the 2018 soccer World Cup, state support for
Roscosmos has fallen victim to Russia's steep economic downturn,
fueled by a collapse in global oil prices and Western sanctions.
In line with its reduced funding, the space agency has agreed to
delay a manned flight to the moon by five years - to 2035 from
2030 - and scrap plans to develop a reusable rocket, a
potentially valuable cost-saving technology.
A Roscosmos spokesman previously said the agency would reassess
its plans after 2025.
(Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by)
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