MOSCOW, April 9 (RIA Novosti) - The All-Russia Public Opinion Study Center, or VTsIOM, made an opinion probe shortly before Space Flight Day, which Russia celebrates on April 12, anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's orbital flight in 1961, which came as the world's first manned space endeavor. An overwhelming majority of respondents, 81 per cent, said it was absolutely necessary to go on with government allocations for space efforts. The rate held steady within the four previous years of similar polls.
52 per cent highlighted research and high tech progress, and 44 per cent a national defense potential increase as basic practical goals of Russian space programs. 18 per cent mentioned promoting Russia's international prestige, and 11 per cent keeping Russia competitive in global space efforts.
The probe, of March 27-28, with 1,600 respondents polled in their places of residence, involved a hundred settlements in 39 constituent entities-regions, territories and republics. The statistical error is evaluated at a ceiling 3.4 per cent.
