Russia hopes nuclear ship will fly humans to Mars

Russia should build a new nuclear-powered spaceship for prospective manned missions to Mars and other planets, the nation's space chief said on Thursday.

Anatoly Perminov first proposed building the ship at a government meeting on Wednesday but didn't explain its purpose. The Russain President, Mr Dmitry Medvedev, backed the project and urged the government to find the money.

In remarks posted on Thursday on his agency's website, Mr Perminov said the nuclear spaceship should be used for human flights to Mars and other planets. He said the project is challenging technologically, but could capitalize on the Soviet and Russian experience in the field.

Mr Perminov said the preliminary design could be ready by 2012, and then it would take nine more years and cost 17 billion rubles (about $600 million) to build the ship.

"The project is aimed at implementing large-scale space exploration programs, including a manned mission to Mars, interplanetary travel, the creation and operation of planetary outposts," said Mr Perminov's web statement.

The ambitious plans contrast with Russia's slow progress on building a replacement to its mainstay spacecraft — the Soyuz.

Russia is using Soyuz booster rockets and capsules, developed 40 years ago, to send crews to the International Space Station (ISS). The development of a replacement rocket and a prospective spaceship with a conventional propellant has dragged on with no end in sight.

Despite its continuing reliance on the old technology, Russia stands to take a greater role in space exploration in the coming years.

Nasa's plan to retire its shuttle fleet next year will force the US and other nations to rely on the Russian spacecraft to ferry their astronauts to and from the ISS until Nasa's new manned ship becomes available.

Mr Perminov said the new nuclear-powered ship should have a megawatt-class nuclear reactor, as opposed to small nuclear reactors that powered some Soviet military satellites. The Cold War-era Soviet spy satellites had reactors that produced just a few kilowatts of power and had a life span of about a year.