MOSCOW - Russia should build a nuclear-powered spaceship for prospective manned missions to Mars and other planets, the nation’s space chief said yesterday.
Anatoly Perminov first proposed building the ship at a government meeting Wednesday but didn’t explain its purpose.
President Dmitry Medvedev backed the project and urged the government to find the money.
In remarks posted yesterday on his agency’s website, Perminov said the nuclear spaceship should be used for human flights to Mars and other planets.
He said the project is challenging technologically, but could capitalize on the Soviet and Russian experience in the field.
Perminov said that the preliminary design could be ready by 2012, and then it would take nine more years and cost about $600 million to build the ship.
“The project is aimed at implementing large-scale space exploration programs, including a manned mission to Mars, interplanetary travel, the creation and operation of planetary outposts,’’ Perminov’s Web statement said.
The ambitious plans contrast with Russia’s slow progress on building a replacement to its mainstay spacecraft - the Soyuz.
Russia is using Soyuz booster rockets and capsules, developed 40 years ago, to send crews to the international space station.
