Posted: Tue, Nov 18, 2003, 6:22 AM ET (1122 GMT)
The Russian government will provide additional funding to build Progress cargo spacecraft for the International Space Station. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasianov will provide the Russian space agency Rosaviakosmos with an additional 1.5 billion rubles ($50 million) for Progress spacecraft. The funding, which will be given to Rosaviakosmos within the next several days, came from supplemental income the Russian government generated from higher oil prices. RSC Energia, the company that builds the Progress spacecraft, had recently complained that a lack of money had forced it to suspend assembly work on Progress spacecraft. This is thought to be the reason behind the delay of the next Progress mission to the ISS, which had been scheduled for this month. That flight is currently planned for early 2004.

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