Following the ceremony, the deputy prime minister congratulated the Russian people and citizens of former Soviet republics on the 51st anniversary of Yury Gagarin's space flight, adding that Russian cosmonauts, engineers and designers no longer need to prove Russia's status as a space power, since it is now an established fact.

Rogozin said that Russia is now faced with the different goal of making outer space work for the benefit of the Russian economy.

He said he was referring to the establishment of an element base at Russian defence plants, which will eliminate their dependence on foreign suppliers; the development of aerospace defence programmes, which will ensure Russia's security in the face of any missile attack; and addressing civilian goals.

"We will thus solve all issues involved in countering anti-missile defence capabilities, if they are deployed against Russian strategic nuclear forces. Likewise, we will resolve strictly civilian tasks and find new sources for replenishing Russia's national wealth," the deputy prime minister said, adding that the domestic aerospace industry development programme should return one dollar, "or better yet, one euro," for each rouble invested in it.