Report: Putin says Russia should launch 640 satellites over 6 yrs

MOSCOW, Jul 19 (PRIME) -- President Vladimir Putin said that Russia should launch 640 space satellites of the project Sfera, or Sphere, from 2022 till 2028, business daily Vedomosti reported late Wednesday on its website.

“I know that you have high-quality and commercially-attractive projects, including Sfera. In the nearest several years, more than 600 satellites should be launched. I think we’re talking about 640 apparatuses in three stages: by 2022, 2024, and 2028,” Putin said at a meeting with management of the aerospace industry.

Putin talked about Sfera during a live Q&A conference in early June. The country’s launch of more than 600 satellites in the next few years would improve the quality of connection to replace fixed-line telephony and make connection more affordable and cheaper, which could lead to an absolute revolution in this industry, he said then.

“It’s crucial that this project is of interest not only to local business, but also to foreign partners, and, certainly, it should be given full throttle,” the president said on Wednesday.

The country’s active satellite constellation currently counts 150 apparatuses.

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