Russia on Wednesday expressed alarm over US President Donald Trump's call for the United States to dominate space exploration and his plan to create a separate branch of the military called a Space Force.
Russian foreign ministry Maria Zakharova said at a briefing that Russia "noted the US president's instructions... to separate space forces from the air force," saying "the most alarming thing about this news is the aim of his instructions, namely to ensure (US) domination in space."
Trump on Monday said at a speech in the White House that "America will always be the first in space" and "we don't want China and Russia and other countries leading us."
He also called for the Pentagon to create a new "Space Force" that would become the sixth branch of the American military, although this requires Congressional approval to take effect.
Zakharova warned that the US is "nurturing plans to bring out weapons into space with the aim of possibly staging military action there."
"This is not based on guesswork, this is understanding the realities," she insisted.
US military build-up in space "especially after the appearance of weapons there, would have a destabilising effect on strategic stability and international security," Zakharova warned.
Russia takes a "diametrically opposite position" that space must be used for "peaceful aims," she said.
While Russia has a branch of the military called "space forces," their activities are "purely defensive," she stressed.
Space research is one of the few areas where Russia and the US continue international cooperation.
Both NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts are crew members on the International Space Station and the orbiting laboratory is reliant on space launches from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome.
Related Links
Military Space News at SpaceWar.com
| Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.</span> |
||
| SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal |
 |
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only |
Fund crisis involving India's strategically crucial space programs disappears
New Delhi (Sputnik) Jun 11, 2018
Months after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) flagged serious concerns over the shortage of funds for projects of national importance, the Narendra Modi-led government decided to release over $1.6 billion to the space agency. This would enable the agency to launch 30 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and 10 Geostationary Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III rockets in the next four years. The funds will enable the organization to implement advanced actions for the procurement of materia ... read more
from Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense https://ift.tt/2K5grds
via space News
No comments: