Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said that one of the strategic tasks facing the world community is to protect the planet from space threats, as well as search for extraterrestrial civilizations. As reported by TASS, he stated this in an interview with the Russia 24 TV channel.
“I, of course, like any earthling, dream of finding out if there is life [somewhere] besides the Earth. This is a fundamentally interesting task,”said the Deputy Prime Minister. He stressed that research should be done not only by Russia, but also by other countries.
Photo: Gennady Gulyaev / Kommersant
Rogozin also believes that the Earth must be protected from space bodies. As an example, he cited the fall of a meteorite in Chelyabinsk. “No one knows what can be discovered in five to ten years and whether we have enough technological capabilities to, knowing about the dangerous approach of another body in a few years to our planet, be able to turn this body away from the Earth's surface,” he said.
In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister announced the need to strengthen the Russian orbital group, RIA Novosti reports. So, in his opinion, it is necessary "to withdraw in a short period such a number of spacecraft that will allow our country to see in advance any risks to our military security." Among the possible threats, the Deputy Prime Minister listed a missile and space attack, as well as intelligence activities against Russia.
In the summer of 2014, Rogozin announced Russia's readiness to cooperate with China in the space sector. In particular, he stated that the countries could jointly engage in the exploration of Mars and the Moon.