As much as 650 billion roubles will be invested in the space sector by 2015, Dmitry Medvedev said at the meeting, adding that despite considerable investments in the industry , seven launches were aborted and ten satellites were lost over the past 18 months. “If you compare this with the performance of the major space powers, the difference is tremendous,” the prime minister said, adding that only three countries - the Unites States, Russia and China – carry out manned space flights. “These launches are invariably associated with certain challenges and risks. Still, nothing like that happens anywhere but Russia,” the prime minister lamented.

Dmitry Medvedev believes it is necessary to understand what’s happening in the space sector.
“We need to identify the culprits in the series of recent setbacks, pinpoint mistakes and determine the degree of responsibility of everyone engaged in this work,” the prime minister said. “I will take some of the decisions already today.”

The prime minister also drew attention to infrastructure-related problems affecting the industry, which include obsolete industrial equipment, an inadequate electronic component base, and personnel problems. “However, nothing of what I have mentioned above can justify the recent satellite launch failures,” the prime minister said.

Dmitry Medvedev gave the government a month to work out issues related to organising the work of the Federal Space Agency (Rosсosmos) and ensuring proper quality control over space products.