MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia's orbital grouping will be expanded to 181 satellites as a result of the implementation of the new Federal Space Program for 2016-2025, the head of the Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, said on Wednesday.
According to Igor Komarov, the number of communications satellites will be doubled, while the number of scientific satellites will be tripled.
In 2014, Russia increased its satellite grouping by 15 percent to 134 satellites, keeping the third place after the United States and China.
The Russian Federal Space Program for 2016-2025 is expected to be submitted to the government by June 10, 2015.
The program will include a number of ambitious projects such as a moon exploration program and the construction of a super-heavy rocket needed to send spacecraft beyond Earth's orbit.
