spacetoday.net: Russia, France to cooperate on space projects

Posted: Sun, Apr 4, 2004, 1:24 PM ET (1724 GMT)
Russia and France will cooperate on unspecified space projects that could include a space tracking system, the leaders of the two countries said Saturday. During a brief visit to Russia, French President Jacques Chirac visited the Titov control center outside Moscow, a Russian Space Forces facility used to operate Russian military spacecraft. Chirac, the first Western leader to visit the top-secret center, was a guest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who toured the site with Chirac. Interfax reported that at a press conference after the tour, Putin said Russia and France will cooperate on "large-scale space projects", but the report didn't specify what those projects might be. The RIA Novosti news agency reported that Russia will help France develop a space monitoring system for tracking spacecraft in orbit. Russia is already cooperating with ESA on a number of projects, including sending European astronauts to the International Space Station as well as developing a capability for launching Soyuz rockets from the European spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana.