You're reading: Cabinet okays draft bill on adoption of national space program for 2013-2017

Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft bill on the adoption of a national targeted scientific and engineering space program for 2013-2017.

As Interfax-Ukraine learned from the State Space Agency of Ukraine on Wednesday, the bill was approved at a government meeting last week in connection with the expiration of the term of the 6th convocation parliament, and related government reshuffles.

The agency said the 2013-2017 program is independent Ukraine’s fifth space program, and serves as the first stage of the fulfillment of governmental documents that are important for the further development of the space sector: the concept of state policy in the sector for the period of until 2032 and an action plan for its implementation.

The program is aimed at more efficiently using space potential to tackle priority tasks of social, economic, environmental, cultural, information, scientific and educational development of society. Its other goals are to ensure national security and defense, as well as safeguard the nation’s geopolitical interests.

The key projects of the national space program for 2013-2017 include: the establishment of geoinformation support and monitoring emergency situations with the use of space information; the launch of three satellites (the Sich-2-1 Earth remote sensing satellite, the Microsat research and engineering satellite, and the UMC-1 university-developed satellite); the creation of the Cyclone-4 space rocket complex at the Alcantara Launch Center (Brazil); the promotion of the Lybid national satellite communications system; the creation of advanced rockets and satellites and development of their manufacturing technology; the promotion of commercial operation of launch vehicles: Cyclone-4, Zenit 2SLB, Zenit 3SLB (the Land Launch), Zenit 3SL (the Sea Launch), Dnepr and the Lybid national satellite communications system. The program also envisages the development of international cooperation with Russia, the EU, Brazil, Canada, Belarus, the United States, Kazakhstan and expansion of cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA).

The program also regulates the guaranteed and rapid provision of satellite communications, data broadcasting and timing and navigation support services to executive agencies that implement state policy in the sphere of national security and defense. Other activities stipulated in the program include dissemination of information gathered by remote sensing satellites; basic space research in astrophysics, space biology and material science; the involvement of existing space infrastructure in international scientific research, and the implementation of scientific and educational programs.

The approximate total funding under the program is Hr 2.58 billion, including Hr 1.12 billion from the national budget.