Russia was, is & will be great Space power: Roscosmos' Dmitry Rogozin on Cosmonautics Day

Russia is celebrating its annual Cosmonautics Day on April 12 remembering cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin's first flight to outer space. It was on this day in 1961, when Gagarin became the world's first person to carry out a human spaceflight and complete an orbit around the Earth. Commemorating this historic day, Russian space agency Roscosmos's Director General Dmitry Rogozin has reminded the world of Russia's position in the global Space sector. 

"Colleagues, friends, associates! Dear compatriots! Happy Cosmonautics Day! Russia was, is and will be a great space power! (sic)," Rogozin wrote in his tweet. Dmitry Rogozin has been defensive about his country's unprovocative attack on Ukraine and has blamed the West for everything so far. As for Russia's space sector, its development is being overseen by President Vladimir Putin who visited the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Amur Oblast region earlier today, April 12. Putin was accompanied by his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, who is facing global ire for his consistent support to Russia. 

Will continue Space cooperation with Belarus: Putin

During his visit to the Russian spaceport, Putin cleared his stance on relations with Belarus saying that he will continue cooperation with Lukashenko in the space sector. It is worth noting that Belarus has also been the target of western economic sanctions for supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As for Russia-Belarus Space relations, Putin said that he would send Belarusian astronauts into Space. Moreover, he also vowed to revive Russia's lunar programme and stated that Moscow would look to increase the quantity and the quality of its satellite constellations. 

"The generation of the creators of our national rocket and Space programme left us not only a major technological foundation but also the values that we still look up to today," Putin said as per Sputnik. According to the Russian President, working on areas in which Russia has a "clear advantage", such as next-generation transport spacecraft and space nuclear technology is also one of his goals. 

Image: AP