Trying to sound impressive, Putin says Russia will resume lunar program

Enlarge / Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin (right) speaks to Russia President Vladimir Putin (left) and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko during their visit at the Vostochny cosmodrome on Tuesday. (credit: Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

To mark the 61st anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic first spaceflight, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited his country's newest spaceport on Tuesday. Putin was accompanied by the chief of Russia's space program, Dmitry Rogozin, and Belarusian President Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko, who has managed to hold on to his office since 1994.

Russians are understandably proud of their nation's historic spaceflight glory, and Putin wanted to cloak himself in the glow of Gagarin's achievement. Putin also sought to explain to Russians how he will continue Gagarin's legacy by talking up Russia's civil spaceflight efforts. "We need to successfully stand up to the challenges of space exploration," he said. To that end, Putin said Russia is working on a "next-generation transport ship," as well as a nuclear-powered space tug. And, according to Russian media reports, Putin added, "We will resume the lunar program."

The next-generation ship presumably refers to the "Orel," or Eagle, spacecraft that would be capable of launching cosmonauts into low Earth orbit as well as to the Moon. The problem with this is that Orel, under various guises and names, has been in development for nearly two decades and is likely years away from flying-if it ever does. And the nuclear-powered space tug is a concept that is years or more likely decades-to-never away from launching.

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