An unmanned Progress M1 tanker craft docked with Russia's Mir space station on 28 April. The MirCorp-funded mission was launched by a Soyuz booster from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 25 April.
Mir will continue to be operated at least until mid-August, when MirCorp will know whether it has raised enough funds for a new commercial mission to the ageing space station. The Russian Space and Aviation Agency says that at least another $10 million will be needed to keep Mir in orbit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia will maintain its commitment to the International Space Station (ISS), but "national production has to be our priority". Russia will need at least R6 billion ($211 million) to continue its space programme and meet its ISS commitments, but the current annual budget on paper totals R3.4 billion, with an additional R1.5 billion allocated to ISS.
Meanwhile, Russia will pay Kazakhstan $90 million for the first half of the year to use the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where it has rented facilities since 1994.
Source: Flight International
