Two in three Russians think so, as seen from the poll held by the National Public Opinion Study Center (VTsIOM) timed to nearly coincide with the Cosmonautics Day.
It is marked in Russia on April 12. On that day in 1961 the first man in the world, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, made a space flight.
The sweeping majority of Russians - 85 percent - are sure that the nation will always be proud of Gagarin's flight and subsequent space expeditions.
Russians cite as the main goals of space exploration the development of science and high technologies, the ensurance of the country's defense capacity, as well as the maintenance of Russia's prestige in the international arena.
Simultaneously, 22 percent say that keeping up the leading-space power status is too burdensome for Russia today.
Twelve percent believe that space exploration has cost the country too much.
The VTsIOM national poll was held on April 2 to 3, 2005. 1,600 respondents in 100 populated places in 40 regions and republics of Russia were polled. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4 percent.
