Russia and China have “grandiose plans“ for space cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today, quoted by the Interfax agency, BTA reports.
According to the Russian leader, many countries are interested in cooperating with Russia to explore deep space, including missions to the Moon and Mars, Reuters points out.
“As for cooperation with other countries, with the United States, I have already said that it continues“, Putin noted and added: “The International Space Station has been created and is operating. Now there are all kinds of ideas about how it should complete its work and what we should do next. However, the work will definitely continue, including with new partners“.
“In fact, cooperation in space continues with the Americans. Regardless of everything, it continues, and the Europeans decided to suspend it. This is their own choice“, the Russian leader said, quoted by TASS.
“Although our European partners have suspended their cooperation with us, practically reduced it to zero, Russian equipment is still working at their stations, at their facilities, including, if I'm not mistaken, for the exploration of Mars and so on“, Putin said.
The Russian president specified that Russia and China have “big plans - interesting, good and grandiose“.
“In general, and with the BRICS countries - India, South Africa, Brazil“, Putin said.
The Russian president compared American billionaire Elon Musk to Soviet engineer Sergei Korolev and emphasized that such people are rare.
“You know, in the US there is a man, Musk, who can be said to be obsessed with the idea for Mars. Such people appear very rarely, captivated by a certain idea. Even if today it seems incredible to me, after a certain period of time such ideas are realized. Just as the ideas of this same Korolev, of our pioneers, were once realized. It seemed incredible to us - some of the plans they made. However, everything is realized“, Putin emphasized during a meeting with students from the Moscow State Technical University “Bauman“.
Quantum technologies provide a tangible advantage and Russia should take more active advantage of this, the Russian leader added.
“We started this research quite a long time ago and have already used it in many industries. I believe that the advantages that quantum technologies provide, undoubtedly, as well as artificial intelligence, should be used much more widely in achieving the final results of technological development“, Putin pointed out.