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Taking part in the meeting were Deputy Prime Ministers Yury Borisov and Marat Khusnullin, Presidential Aide Maxim Oreshkin, Presidential Aide – Head of the Presidential Control Directorate Dmitry Shalkov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation – First Deputy Defence Minister Valery Gerasimov, General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities Dmitry Rogozin, General Director of Progress Rocket and Space Centre Dmitry Baranov, General Designer of the Myasishchev Salyut Design Bureau Sergei Kuznetsov and General Designer of the Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia Vladimir Solovyov.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.

Most of you were present at our meeting last April where we discussed the urgent tasks facing national cosmonautics, as well as the Basic Principles of State Policy in this area until 2030.

Following the April meeting, we agreed that the Government would prepare a set of measures to achieve Russia’s long-term goals in space exploration. A number of decisions have already been made. For example, the GLONASS navigation system development programme until 2030 has been approved.

I would like to point out that the entire package of measures with appropriate funding was to be approved by August 30. However, this has not been done yet, which jeopardises our plans for the development of the entire industry. I am asking you to explain the reasons for this delay and tell us when this work will be completed.

I would also like to highlight the following topics today and hear the chief designers’ positions on them.

The first is orbital cosmonautics. Our country plays an active role in the activities of the International Space Station (ISS). Our scientists are conducting large-scale research in the Russian segment.

Under the current agreements, the ISS will complete its flight in 2024. Although this term can be extended, we must look beyond the horizon of this decade, consider new challenges in the exploration of deep space and also our national plans for developing infrastructure and exploring our own vast territories, including the Arctic zone.

Our specialists are already working on the idea of creating a Russian service orbital station. I would like to ask you to update us on this project.

Second, Russia leads in space launches. Last year, 17 carrier rockets were successfully launched and 15 carrier rockets have followed suit recently, this year, but the programme has not yet been completed. It is ongoing.

At the same time, as you know, international competition in this sector is growing. We have repeatedly discussed this issue. To maintain the lead in this area we must focus on high reliability in our domestic hardware – in both launching manned flights and delivering payloads into orbit. Finally, we must master the next generation of carrier rockets that meet all the requirements of our customers both domestically and in the international market.

I would like you to report on the status of these projects. I would also like to hear what Roscosmos is doing to make Russian rockets more competitive.

And I would also like to hear a separate update on the Angara complex. The launch pad is now under construction at the Vostochny Space Launch Center. As you know, I visited there recently, in September.

I will note that the first stage of the space port is already making serial launches. It has made four of them since the start of this year.

It is necessary to strengthen our ground-based infrastructure to develop orbital cosmonautics and increase the number of carrier rocket launches. In this context, I hope to hear about the plans for the Vostochny Space Launch Center including the development of a new manned system for transport spacecraft.

And one more point. In the past few years, we have made considerable progress in developing unique technology for the nuclear space power industry. By expert estimates, Russia is six to seven years ahead of its rivals, ahead of the rest of the world. This is a very good foundation, and we must use this advantage, support breakthrough scientific research in cosmonautics and expedite the practical introduction of advanced technological solutions. We will discuss specific steps for this today.

Let us get to work.

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