MOSCOW, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Russia plans to send cosmonauts to land on the Moon next decade for the first time in its history and intends to build a moon base from 2031, according to the Russian corporation responsible for manned space flights, state news agency TASS reported.
A draft plan presented by Vladimir Solovyov of RKK Energia said that Russia was planning manned missions to the moon, including the first Russian human moon landing, along with a moon base, TASS said on Wednesday.
"Preparations for the deployment of a lunar base - 2031-2040," TASS quoted the draft plan as saying.
In August, Russia's first moon mission in 47 years failed when its Luna-25 space craft spun out of control and crashed into the moon, underscoring the post-Soviet problems experienced by a once mighty space programme.
Yuri Gagarin became the first human in outer space on April 12, 1961, but Soviet cosmonauts never did a human landing on the moon.
Persons:
Vladimir Solovyov, Russia's, Luna, Neil Armstrong, Yuri Gagarin, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn
Organizations:
RKK Energia, TASS, Thomson
Locations:
MOSCOW, Russia, Russian, Soviet