Russia led the world in space launches for 2006
24 Jan 2007
Moscow: Russia led the world in the number of space launches made in 2006, with 25 missions. According to a December 28, 2006, RIA Novosti report, these missions constituted about 45 per cent of all launches conducted around the world in the year 2006.
Novosti quoted Anatoly Perminov, head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, as saying, that the US was in second place with 18 launches for 2006, while Japan and China shared third place with six launches each. According to Perminov, Russia however planned to reduce the number of space launches to 20 in 2007.
In 2007, Russia planned to send two piloted spacecraft and four cargo ships to the International Space Station. According to Perminov, Russia had decided to keep one place in the Soyuz spacecraft reserved for a Russian cosmonaut and another for an American astronaut. The third one, he said, would be offered to space tourists. According to Perminov the slot for space tourists, from various countries, was fully booked till 2008.
Perminov also stated that Russia would complete the creation of its GLONASS satellite navigation network by 2009. The system is similar to the US global positioning system (GPS), and consists of 24 satellites.
Perminov also urged countries involved in space exploration to develop international rules for cleaning up the "space garbage".