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Russian space industry 'falling short' of state arms goals

RIA Novosti

13:04 13/04/2011 MOSCOW, April 13 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's space chief says its rocket industry is falling short of the goals set by the state arms procurement program.

"Measures to ensure the implementation of the state arms procurement program for 2011-2012 have been inefficient," Anatoly Perminov, head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, said on Wednesday.

The statement comes a day after Russia marked the 50th anniversary of Yury Gagarin's historic space flight.

Perminov complained of a "fall in the level of responsibility" among international partners, citing the explosion minutes after liftoff of a South Korean rocket last year and delays in the launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket from the European Space Agency base at Kourou in French Guiana.

Roscosmos came under harsh criticism after the delayed launch last week of the latest Soyuz mission to the International Space Station - meant to commemorate Gagarin's journey - and the failed launch last year of three communications satellites. The satellites were part of Russia's GLONASS navigation system, an intended rival to GPS.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin pledged last week to increase Russia's share of the market for space launches. Russia is building a new facility at Vostochny in eastern Siberia, which is expected to be used for manned spaceflights starting 2018.