Kremlin deputy premier Denis Manturov revealed his boss’s lofty ambitions and claimed that Putin wants ‘missions to the Moon and Venus, which currently occupy a central place in the plans of Roscosmos’
Vladimir Putin is targetting conquering Venus following his botched attempt to seize control of Ukraine. Kremlin deputy premier Denis Manturov today disclosed. “Research missions to the Moon and Venus currently occupy a central place in the plans of [space agency] Roscosmos and the Russian Academy of Sciences for studying other celestial bodies,” he said.
“Back in 1970, our country succeeded in successfully landing a spacecraft on another planet in the solar system. And that was Venus. Therefore, we will probably move in this direction first. And then we’ll see how successfully the assigned tasks will be accomplished.”
Putin, 73, is thought to be captivated by the “Goddess of Love’s Planet”.
Last month the despot bestowed upon his favoured Manturov, 57, the nation’s top accolade – Hero of Russia honour.
The “ambitious” expedition to Venus “will require our country not only significant resources but also the search for unconventional engineering solutions”, declared the deputy premier.
“This requires talented and daring….young people who can take a fresh look at problems and offer fresh ideas.”
Putin seeks to expand upon the 1970 Soviet Union unmanned Venera 7 spacecraft’s expedition to Venus.
One possibility is that a Venus launch would originate from the Moon where Putin intends to construct a lunar nuclear power station within ten years. Manturov’s honour – allegedly for Russian war and defence industry triumphs – was ridiculed by ex-speechwriter to Putin, Abbas Gallyamov, who is now a political analyst.
“They fight in Soviet tanks, fire Korean shells, and launch Iranian drones, but they still remember to reward themselves for their successes,” he commented.
However, “rewards are like a tool of self-hypnosis”.
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