Aims For Manned Mission In 2025... 12 Years Before NASA

More boasting to report from the newly-revitalized Russian space program... as a leading scientist says the country is on track to launch a manned mission to Mars by 2025, far ahead of even the most optimistic estimates of NASA.

"We have something of a head start in this race as we have the most experience in piloted space flight," Space Research Institute director Lev Zelyony told Interfax news agency, reports Breitbart. Zelyony added the goal is "technically and economically achievable" by 2025.

After years of comparative neglect following the downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russia space program has been on a kick lately... and Zelyony has shamelessly promoted the resurgence. As ANN reported, the director also announced this week the country would play a role in a still-to-be-officially-announced European Space Agency mission to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.

Zelyony also touched on the reason why Russia is pressing for a Mars mission... to compensate for coming up short in the last significant "space race" with the US.

"We lost the race to the moon," Zelyony said, adding a mission to Mars would be a valued prize for the Russian space industry to boost its "scientific and political prestige."

In comparison, NASA says it hopes to return to the moon by 2020, with a manned Mars mission not expected before 2037... leaving Russia plenty of time to accomplish the feat first.

FMI: www.iki.rssi.ru/eng/index.htm, http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/rsa/rsa.html